The Secret Assignment Club
by KeyBella
Summary: What if Casper High was a boarding school where Sam and Danny weren't best friends, but Sam and Jazz were? Jazz, Sam and a few friends decide to make the school a little more fun by making each other do missions like...making Sam steal Danny's boxers? Oh.
1. The Introduction: Secret Assignment Game

Hey guys. Well, at this point in the story, I've got about 300 reviews (Chapter 18) and I'm really excited about all of you who've read this, loved it, and supported it, so I've decided that this fanfic really could use a lot of work in my beginning chapters when I really didn't have a plan for it and I was just going with the flow. I want new readers to enjoy this just as much as my old readers have. My writing has really changed from the beginning chapters to the newer chapters, especially since I took a year break on this sometime before Chapter 5. I hope you all enjoy it.

Keyarrah

_(Old) A/N: By the way, this is an AU fic, Casper High is a boarding school, but it's kinda hi-tech, you'll get it later on. Sam, Danny, and Tucker aren't best friends, but Tucker and Danny are. Don't worry. It'll turn out okay. This is me, remember? D/S all the way!_

* * *

Samantha Manson sat in the lobby to the girls' dormitories with a sigh. She was on the verge of death due to boredom, and to make matters worse, her long time crush, Danny Fenton was practically drowning in his own drool at the sight of Paulina Sanchez. Everyone knew that Danny Fenton had a crush on Paulina.

Sam hated Paulina with every fiber of her being. Paulina was the Queen Bee of Casper, and just about everyone feared her and the mighty power she had over everyone and everything, (including their boyfriends).

Sam was so lost in her own little world of mentally cursing Paulina to a fiery death, that she didn't notice Jazz come in, and stand in front of her, giving her a weird look.

"Earth to Sam," Jazz said, waving a hand in front of her face, and then snapping her fingers to get her attention.

"...Huh? Oh. Hey, Jazz!" Sam smiled.

Jazz might have been two years older than she was, but they were the best of friends...the fact that she was Danny's older sister, yeah, that was an added bonus. The fact that she was best friends with his sister, and he barely knew her name, yeah...that just sucked.

"Daydreaming about my brother?" Jazz asked with a knowing grin.

Sam scowled playfully. "Nooo...daydreaming about Paulina's demise because she interrupted my daydreaming about your brother with her cursed...Paulina-ness." Sam said with pursed lips, for lack of better words.

Jazz snickered, putting a hand on her younger friend's shoulder.

"He'll come around...I think." She said thoughtfully.

Sam was about to say something when a raven-haired girl with red streaks in her hair ran through the doors out of breath and panting like a dog.

"Ugg...water..." the girl groaned, collapsing on the squishy red couch that Sam was sitting on.

Sam rolled her eyes, and threw her water bottle at the girl. "You are such a melodramatic," she snorted.

"You'd be like this too... if YOU... ran... four flippin'... miles in the... flippin' heat." The girl replied in between gulps of water.

"Roxie, Roxie, Roxie...it's called walking. You were doing a walk-a-thon, no one told you to run like you had a mass murderer behind you with a chainsaw." Jazz replied, sitting on the arm of the couch.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hadn't passed out yet, so it was an omen to keep running." Roxie replied, handing the bottle back to Sam. "Besides, it was to raise money for the new computer lab. COMPUTER LAB." She explained as if it were obvious.

One thing about Roxanne Forrester that you would learn off the bat was that she was incredibly tech savvy. She was very far from being a geek, but she also knew her way around a computer better than most technicians did. Another thing you'd learn about Roxie is that she didn't take much, if anything from anyone. She was one of those girls who was relatively nice until you annoyed her. Someone who found that out the hard way? Dash Baxter.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Anyway, back to MY problems, please..."

"If it's about Danny, I'm tuning you out. Your obsessed for God's sake." Roxie told her.

"I am not!" Sam protested heatedly.

"Yes, you are..." a strawberry blonde girl replied, plopping on the other arm opposite Jazz.

"It's sad, really." A brunette with wavy hair agreed, sitting next to Roxie.

Jazz went into a coughing fit that sounded suspiciously like snickering, and Sam threw a glare at her.

She was not obsessed. Okay, yes. She liked Danny. What was there not to like about Danny? But to imply that she was one of those fawning little…things that fell all over a boy was insulting. Sam would allow for one to call her many things without paying them any mind, but this…no!

"I AM NOT." Sam said, gritting her teeth as she glared at each of them in turn.

Various coughs were heard throughout the other four, and a couple of hacks were input as well.

Sam ignored them, and with a frown muttered, "Next subject..."

"Can do." The blonde girl grinned. "I'm bored... So...what's new?" she asked.

Emily Court, otherwise known as Emma was another one of their best friends. She had long strawberry blonde hair down to her back and pretty blue eyes. The girl was born in Reading, England, and her family had moved to Amity, California when she was still in elementary school. Though Emma was very pretty, she was far from vain.

"Emma, THAT'S your new subject?" Roxie asked, raising an eyebrow.

The brunette snorted, leaning against the back of the chair.

"Oh, and YOU can do better, An?" Emma asked, a devilish smirk on her face.

The girl whom Emma referred to was Britannica Reed. She preferred to be called 'Annica' though, seeing as she said her full name reminded her of a dictionary. Annica had naturally wavy brown hair that went to her shoulders and hazel eyes that looked as if they had gold flecks in them in the sunlight. Annica was the shyest out of the five of them.

"Maybe I can, Em." Annica said, playfully sneering at Emma. "What have we all in mind?"

"Nothing cardiovascular, please." Roxie offered, raising her hand.

"Let's play a game." Sam offered.

"Okay. Let's play 'Truth'. I'll start. 'Is Sam obsessed with my brother?' Yes. Next game." Jazz shrugged. Sam threw her a dirty look.

"I've got one…okay, no I don't. I lied. Annica?" Emma looked towards the brunette.

"Well, seeing as we've been bored since _October_, and it is now December, I've got an idea." Annica said.

"We have not been bored _since October_," Roxie argued. "We just came back from Christmas break, and mine was not boring."

Jazz grumbled something unintelligible about her own, so Annica continued.

"Well, this game is a little…long term. Depending, I guess, on how long it takes for us to get through it." Annica explained.

"Okay? What is it?" Sam asked.

"I heard about this game," Annica told them. "See, my older sister used to play it at sleep away camp." She said.

She received four blank stares.

"'Sleep away camp'?" Roxie interrupted dully. "Aren't we a little old to be playing games found at 'sleep away camp'?"

"If it has something to do with roasting marshmallows or something, I swear I'm gonna slap you." Sam informed, ignoring Roxie.

Jazz gave her a confused look, to which Sam answered, "Long story...in short, I found out that I'm allergic."

"So, yeah, yeah, what was it?" Emma asked Annica.

"Well, it was called 'The Secret Assignment Game.' They had these 'missions' given by the other girls in the group, via memo, email, post, ect. Well, you have these code names to use in case you get caught, and it sounded kinda fun." Annica explained.

"It sounds dorky." Roxie replied offhandedly. "What kind of missions anyway?"

"Well, my sister had to sneak into some guy's room and lie next to him while he was asleep and get a picture of herself and him. Her friend had to steal the camp headmaster's toupee." Annica grinned.

"Okay, not so dorky." She replied, quickly sitting up in attention. "So, what do you guys say?" she asked.

"About WHAT? I'm not doing that! One, there is not enough time in the world to do that. Your sister did it in the summer. We're in school. Two, we'll get expelled, and I can't get expelled in my senior year. Three, even if we don't get expelled, our parents will annihilate us, not to mention, ground us until we're thirty. No way." Jazz said, stubbornly.

"She does have a point..." Emma said, chewing on her lip. "Besides, I am _**not**_ climbing into someone's **bed**."

"Guys, this school is boring. The stone floors are boring, the cathedral style ceilings are boring, and the classrooms are boring, even the AIR is boring. It needs a little excitement. It's begging to be excited. It'll be worth it. And besides, we can work around stuff like getting caught. We're all smart. As for it taking too long, it's December. We've got about six months to do all of this. There's five of us, with six months. There'll be plenty of time for schoolwork." Sam sighed.

"Now, let's turn this boring school...I mean _boarding _school into something a little fun, huh?" Sam asked, exasperatedly.

"Well...I guess a little mischief won't hurt...as long as it's not hurting anyone...I guess I'm in." Jazz said hesitantly.

"Well, if Jazz is in, I guess I'm in." Emma sighed.

"I was _always_ in, you losers." Roxie grinned.

Annica shoved her. "Freak. And it was my idea, so I was _always_ in." she mocked. "Now, what should we call ourselves? My sister and her friends called themselves 'The Chaos'. What should we be?" she wondered.

"Nothing dorky." Roxie butted in.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Miss. Cool. Let's see...'The Secret Assignment Game', right?...What about 'The Secret Assignment Club' it's not too cheesy or too **dorky**," she looked at a certain someone when she said that.

"And no one really feels like making up a name, right?" Jazz finished.

"Yeah...I guess." Sam shrugged.

"Whatever." Emma nodded.

"Sounds all right to me." Roxie replied.

"Okay. Codename time." Annica announced.

"Now. Code names? I'll be...Gothika." Sam grinned.

Emma rolled her eyes, "Who would have guessed? The gothic girl wants to be 'Gothika' I'll be...Kitten. Kittens like, so totally...like...erm... rule!" she said in a super preppy voice.

"We'll pretend you never said that." Roxie laughed. "I'll be...SPAZZ!"

Roxie slumped in the comfy and somewhat worn sofa, putting her feet on Emma, only to have them pushed off.

Jazz smirked at them. "I'll be...Spectra." she smiled, thinking of Danny.

Sam met her eyes, and nodded. Although she didn't know just how close she was to "Inviso-Bill" as Amity called him, she did know that Jazz held a very special place in her heart for the ghost boy.

Annica tapped a finger to her chin, deep in thought. "I think I'll be...Violet. It was my mom's favorite flower..." she explained quietly.

The others nodded with deep understanding. Mrs. Reed had been killed in a twelve-car pile up, and Annica had never been the same. Annica never really talked about it, but all they knew was that she now had a deep fear of driving and the highway.

"So...now that we have the code names?" Emma asked, turning to Annica.

"Well, now, we decide who's going to have a challenge for who. But, to make it easier, let's put our names in something and pick them out. It'll be much simpler, not to mention more fair." Annica told them.

Emma reached into her dark pink knapsack, and pulled out a pen and paper. She wrote everyone's names on part of the paper, and then ripped it equally. She folded all of the papers neatly, so that not even she could tell which one was which. Roxie reached into the pocket of her jean jacket and pulled out her lucky baseball cap. She put it on the table and Emma spilled all of the names into the hat.

"Okay. Everybody pick." Annica instructed them all.

One by one the girls all picked out pieces of paper until each one of them had a name. They each opened the names and looked around at each other.

"Okay, who do we all have?" Sam asked. "I've got Annica."

Annica smiled and turned to Emma questioningly.

"I've got Jazz." Emma replied, showing Jazz the piece of paper.

Jazz accepted the hi-five that Emma gave her and turned to the girl nearest to her.

"I've got Sam." Jazz said, a chaotic grin on her face. She flashed a smile when Sam looked panicked.

Ignoring the interaction between Jazz and Sam, Annica said, "I've got Roxie."

"Ok, I've got Emma." Roxie said, with a content shrug.

Roxie stuffed her lucky hat into the sofa, too lazy to put it back in her pocket. "I'll get it later."

"Okay, so now, do we decide the 'missions', Agent Annica?" Sam asked dramatically.

"Yes. And don't ever do that again." Annica laughed lightly.

The others nodded in agreement and Sam stuck out her tongue. The five of them went up to their dorms, plotting to turn Casper High School, the most boring boarding school in the world into an adventure that no one would ever forget.

* * *

Okay guys, I hope you all liked the new semi-new rendition of the first chapter! Don't forget to look for TSAC II!


	2. The Missions Not So Impossible?

Hey all

Hey all! More revisions! ) I remember that this chapter was pretty fun to write seeing as I got to write it with my good friend, Lightning Streak! As in the first chapter, only minor changes are being made, I promise!

Enjoy,

Keyarrah

(Old ANs:)

DivaGurl277: Okay, just to tell you now, this story is being co-written with...Lightning Streak! She's a very talented authoress, and we are very good friends. We've been helping each other throughout the year with our respective stories, and we thought that we might try working on something together. We haven't gotten a pattern yet, for who's writing what, but we're going to switch it off continually. We both hope that you'll like the fic, and that you'll continue reading. Okay, now, if she has anything to add...?

(Scene switches to Lightning Streak, typing madly on her computer)

Hello! This is Lightning Streak reporting from Alpha Control...I've been promoted to co-commander writing this story, so I hope you enjoy my own twists on things. So sit back and enjoy the ride as we launch this mission! (Coughs) Ahem...I think I've watched too many space movies...

Also, we'd like to thank all of the reviewers that reviewed. It is greatly appreciated. We also appreciate the ideas for this fic, but we already have everything planned out, thanks. We'll be sure to tell you when we need ideas, so don't worry!

* * *

Sam yawned as she woke up to the sun peering through the curtains of her dorm room. She sleepily rubbed her eyes, groping at her nightstand for her watch to see what time it was.

She was surprised to feel an envelope. She blinked her eyes rapidly, then opened the envelope with her name neatly written in script.

_**Hey Gothika! It's Spectra.  
Okay, your assignment, is...buh-buh-bah-dah!  
You've gotta sneak into the boys' dorms, into my brother's room,  
and oh-so-politely "borrow" a pair of his boxers. Now, that  
won't be a problem, will it my dear Gothie-Wothie?**_

_**I can see that you're glaring at the paper, now, huh?**_

_**Laughing like a maniac,  
:Spectra:**_

Sam blinked again, then screamed bloody murder. She'd **KILL **her.

* * *

Emma walked into science class tiredly. She'd gotten plenty of sleep that night since her roommate bunked in another dorm last night, but she, as Annica had said just a few days before, was bored out of her mind! Such a big school…yet nothing to do. It was inane…it was insane…it was…some other 'I' word.

Mr. Douglas told them to take out their homework from the day before so she went to do so. The sheet of blue paper that was in there though surprised Emma. Emma looked at the piece of paper that had been slipped into her science binder with a raised eyebrow.

_**'Sup Kit? Spazz here.**_

_**Okay, bored to death, and while I was avoiding**_

_**homework at all costs, I remembered! The**_

_**assignment! Okay, it's nothing much. Just get a**_

_**pic of Lancer doing something embarrassing. As**_

_**in the whole school will die when they see it posted**_

_**on the school web page. Ahh...bow down to me and**_

_**my awesome hacking abilities. Anyways,**_

_**It won't be hard, seeing that Lancer is a total**_

_**magnet. You disgust me. Stop thinking that way.**_

_**I meant a magnet for embarrassment. -mock glare-**_

_**Eek. Gotta make like a banana and split.**_

_**The Lance is coming this way. Over and Out.**_

_**.Spazz.**_

Emma, grinning, shook her head. She didn't understand her friend, and doubted that she ever would…now where was that homework?

* * *

Annica yawned as she stretched in her study hall period. Another boring Monday, another boring lesson on the correct way to study, and make sure that the information quote-unquote 'seeped into her brain like a leech quenching it's thirst for blood as if knowing that the evil salt was only a beckoning day away;...yeah... her teacher had MAJOR issues...

She was just about to begin to tune out the psychopath when a paper football landed on her desk. She looked to her right, where she imagined it came from, and saw Sam wink at her discreetly before turning back to the oblivious teacher who was crying out to the class about how missing one word in your 'study journey' would ruin you forever, causing you to live with your boyfriend who later leaves you for your cat's veterinarian who you later remember is your twin sister.

Wow. Isn't that EVERYONE'S life story?

Annica quickly, yet quietly opened the little football and read the neat script in a dark sparkly violet color.

_**Violet,**_

_**Ughh...have you ever BEEN so bored? I swear,**_

_**if she goes into another long winded speech**_

_**about how "studying" should control your life,**_

_**and steer it in the path to...what was it...oh yeah,**_

_**"undeniable love", I'm gonna attack Ms. Hatatren.**_

_**No wonder why the guy left her and took the cat...**_

_**Blech. Only reason I haven't dropped out of this**_

_**class is because Danny's in it.**__** (Can you even drop out**_

_**of study hall??) Is that on the**_

_**borderline of obsessed? Hope not. Anyway,**_

_**there's a point to this note. It's about your**_

_**assignment thingy. Okay, you have**_

_**Biology 101 with that skank Paulina,**_

_**correct? I want you to sabotage her.**_

_**Doesn't even have to be in that**_

_**particular class, just do it.**_

_**I want to see a broken princess,**_

_**thrown off of her throne, and I**_

_**want her tiara to hit her where**_

_**the humility bit her!...Okay,**_

_**too much? Thought so.**_

_**Oh God, kill me, she's restarting,**_

_**...Gothika...**_

_**P.S.:**__** ...Is Danny looking at me?**_

_**P.P.S.: Remind me to KILL JAZZ LATER!**__** (Don't. Ask. Why.)**_

Annica rolled her eyes and turned back to the teacher. What to do, what to do?

* * *

Jazz grinned to herself at her devious plot. She knew of course, that Sam would come rampaging after her, making PMS look like Halloween, but like that mattered? Nope. Not a bit.

She opened her AP Senior English textbook and raised an eyebrow at the sky blue cloud stationary that was neatly folded into a square, slipped in between two of the center pages.

One-hundred-eight and one-hundred-nine to be exact. She looked around, quickly, made sure that no one was looking over her shoulder or paying attention to her, then made sure that the teacher was preoccupied with grading papers before she slowly opened the note, biting her lip nervously as not to make as much as a tiny crinkling sound to disturb the quiet class, or bring any unwanted attention to herself.

She exhaled slowly as she got the note opened without any detection.

_**Hola Spectra,**_

_**(That's **__**funny**__** because I'm in FRENCH class**_

_**as I write this!)**_

_**It's Kitten. Meow!...Sorry. Totally**_

_**HAD to do that. Anyway, your**_

_**mission if you choose to accept**_

_**it...Hey, wasn't that from Mission**_

_**Impossible? Yum...Tom Cruise...**_

_**drool Mmm. Darn you Katie!**_

_**Lol. Okay, yeah, your mission**_

_**is to get some of Dash's hair.**_

_**We all know how much he**_

_**practically adores you, and**_

_**probably has**__** dirty dreams about**_

_**you. Maybe he'll donate**_

_**some. It's only fair since**_

_**he's got some of yours in**_

_**his "Jazmine Shrine of LUV"**_

_**Yes, that WAS necessary. It**_

_**was very necessary. **__**That was Sam's 'Haha.'**_

_**She says you deserved that? Why?**_

_**By the way, we've got this substitute.**_

_**She is totally the sub from Hell...**_

_**Uh oh. Crap. I got another**_

_**detention...GRRR...told you**_

_**the sub from HELL.**_

_**SHE'S NOT EVEN **__**FRENCH**__**!!**_

_**-:Kitten:-**_

Jazz silently whimpered as she looked up to the ceiling as if asking God, _'Why me?'_

* * *

Roxie sat in the girl's bathroom, leaning against one of the stalls, her foot propped up behind her as she attempted to re-hack into the school's system. She had once made the bells for each period last for only six minutes, leaving them five and a half hours of fun.

Her attention sprang back to her tricked out PDA system as she received a message.

_**Spazz,**_

_**Hey there. I knew you'd be answering your**_

_**PDA since you're probably in the bathroom**_

_**plotting. L**__**ike that's new. I'm in Comp. 202,**_

_**so I can't talk long, kay?...Or...write? Or**_

_**would that be type? Hmm...RIGHT!**_

_**Back to the subject, sorry. Spaced**_

_**out...again. ...Right. Anyway,**_

_**a little birdie told me that**_

_**SOMEONE has a ittle wittle**_

_**crush on Tucker Foley. You**_

_**can probably guess who since**_

_**she's always lavishing on and on**_

_**about his best friend. Well,**_

_**I thought to myself "Hmm...**_

_**why don't you fuel that fire?"**_

_**And so I shall. Your assignment**_

_**is to get a picture of Tucker in**_

_**a dress. You're creative. Oh.**_

_**And **__**it CAN'T be digital. I know you**_

_**and your conniving ways. Good luck.**_

_**You'll need it. I hear Foley's **__**in**__** with**_

_**the ladies. MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_

_**Much love,**_

_**Violet**_

Roxie shut down her PDA, walked over to the mirror, and after looking at her own horror struck face, she banged her head repeatedly against the glass. She ignored when a cheerleader came in and whispered to her friends,

"Must be one of those days..."

* * *

(Lightning Streak Takes Over)

Meanwhile, Sam was _trying _not to strangle Paulina, really she was, but it was becoming almost too tempting...

Paulina, once again, was flaunting new clothes to her ever-growing 'posse'. And perhaps what confused Sam the most was the fact that Paulina's new shirt looked almost identical to any of the pink shirts she normally wore...

"When I saw this shirt, I absolutely _had _to get it," Paulina babbled. "It was only eighty-eight bucks! Can you believe it? And it's so much more fashionable than _that_."

She pointed towards Sam and the other girls nodded, sending glares at the goth girl. Sam gritted her teeth and tried to focus on finishing her homework.

'_Relax, Sam,' _she told herself. '_You can focus on punching Paulina's face out later. Right now, focus on the homework...'_

"Miss Sanchez, please be quiet. Some of us are trying to get things done," the teacher said. Paulina rolled her eyes and decided on whispering to her 'friends'.

Sam clenched her fists and only then realized she was crushing her note from Jazz. She opened the piece of paper to read it again, making sure that her task was just dream.

Nope. It was reality.

'_...Why, Jazz? WHY!' _

Someone tapped her shoulder from behind.

"What?!" Sam whispered, her anger showing in her tone. She turned around to face the unlucky student whom she would unleash her death glare at.

...And suddenly, her anger melted away. Bright blue eyes stared back her in slight surprise and concern.

"Are you okay?" Danny asked. "I mean, you're acting all tense and keep shooting everyone dirty looks."

Sam panicked inside. '_Great...now he probably thinks I'm insane...Although, he might not be so far away from the truth...'_

"Yeah, "she replied, trying not to blush, "I'm okay. Just had a stressful day, is all."

The one and only reason why she could stand math class was because Danny sat in the desk behind her

...Actually, it normally made Sam's day...

"Join the club," Danny said, flashing Sam his signature smile. "Hey, I was wondering, could you help me on problem seven? I've never been good with this stuff and Jazz says she'll kill me if I get another F on my any of my math papers..."

Hope slowly rose inside Sam. "Really? Uh, I mean sure, I'll help you!" she whispered. Making sure the teacher wasn't watching, Sam turned all the way around in her seat.

"Oh, and uh, Sam? You might want to hide that note on your desk. Someone else might see it."

Sam's eyes widened a fraction as she hid the note in her binder with almost supernatural speed. "T-thanks," she stuttered.

Roxie hid a smirk as she spied on Sam and Danny from her desk on the other side of the room. It seemed as though Sam was having a good time, she observed smugly.

'_You know, Sam better thank me for hacking into the electronic seating chart...Of course,' _she thought, turning to her right, '_that expedition wasn't __**just **__for her.' _

She watched Tucker scribble madly on his sheet of paper, glancing every so often at his PDA. She sighed.

'_How am I supposed to get Tucker in a dress? I mean I can't just go up to him and say, _

_"Hi, Tucker! Umm...I need a picture of you in a dress, so could you try this on?"'_

_**...I suddenly have the urge to kill Annica...**_

"Roxie?" The said student turned and looked at the teacher, Ms. Desal.

Ms. Desal motioned for her to come to the desk. Roxie got up and walked over to her destination. "Yes?"

"Roxie, I'm noticing a steady decline in you grades. Quite frankly, I'm worried. Are you having trouble with the new formulas? Do you have something that's keeping you from focusing?" Ms. Desal asked.

Roxie tried not to blush. "No, I just haven't been understanding the homework as well as I used to."

"Then, perhaps I think it's time I assigned you a tutor, before your grades drop below average." Roxie's heart stopped when the teacher called out the name of another student. "Tucker? Could you come here please?"

Tucker hid his PDA in one of his oversized pockets and sauntered up next to Roxie.

"Tucker, it seems that Roxie is having trouble with the homework. I am assigning you to tutor her. Can you handle it?"

He glanced at Roxie and nodded, careful not to blush. "Sure thing Ms. D."

"Good," Ms. Desal said. She turned towards her other student. "And I will be expecting your grades to improve."

Roxie barely nodded.

'_What if Tucker thinks I'm an idiot now?' _A horrified feeling crept up her spine. '_What if I'm not smart enough for him? What if...he doesn't like me back? …Stop being such a __**girl**__, Forrester!'_

Just then, another though entered Roxie's mind.

'_Wait a minute...this means we'll spend time together, and that means I can play out my assignment...Hmm.'_

The horrified feeling was replaced by evil plotting.

As Roxie walked back to her seat, she began to plan everything out. The bell rang and she picked up her books.

Walking out the door, she couldn't help but think, '_Maybe I really can do this...'_

Suddenly, she tripped over something, her books flying out of her hands.

Roxie looked up, embarrassment written all over her face.

The "something" she had tripped over landed her right next to Tucker's locker.

He looked her over, picking up her books and handing them to her. Roxie accepted them, lowering her head so Tucker couldn't see her face flush with shame.

'_...Or maybe not...'_

* * *

(DivaGurl277 takes over again)

Annica gave a frustrated sigh as she glared daggers at the letter in her hands. She was furious. When he had told her that he…ugh! She didn't think he was SERIOUS! HOW COULD HE?!

'_How DARE he? HOW DARE HE!'_ she mentally screamed as she crumpled up the once neat letter into a ball as hot tears fell down her face. She slowly began to resemble the letter as she slouched down the wall in the main lobby of the girls freshman dorms, curled into a ball, trembling slightly as she began to cry herself into a numb sense of security.

"Oh my god! You are never going to believe this! I got detention! AGAIN!...Annica...what are you doing? Is that some kind of new boho yoga type of thing?" Emma asked, walking cautiously towards the trembling girl.

"...Why are you shaking?...Britannica, oh my god, your eyes are bloodshot. OMG! You're on drugs! DAMN IT, ANNICA! JUST SAY 'NO'!" Emma spazzed as Annica looked up.

"Or you've been crying..." Emma's expression softened instantly. "What's wrong, hon?" she asked. She held her friend as she gave a hiccupping sob, sniffling every once in a while.

"My father." Annica hiccupped.

"He's getting married. He's getting married to some **WOMAN**." Annica spat venomously.

"...Well, he wouldn't marry a **man**..." Emma winced apologetically once she saw Annica's angry expression. "Right. Sorry. Serious time." she murmured.

"And I haven't even MET this woman. He just sprung it on me! Has he forgotten about my Mom? I know it's been a long time since she died, but he's ready to hop back in the saddle, and adjust our life like it's nothing! And the worst part is that he TOLD me, Em! He told me he wanted to start dating again, but I just didn't believe it. I didn't think he was SERIOUS!" Annica carried on furiously, as if Emma had never said anything. She inhaled and exhaled roughly as the two fell into a comfortable silence.

"Annica, you do want your dad to be happy don't you?" Emma asked after a while.

"You're taking HIS side! You're MY best friend!" Annica shouted.

"Britannica Marileen Reed, if you don't shut your bloody mouth, and listen to me for once!" Emma snapped.

Annica looked taken back at first, for one not used to Emma yelling, and for two, her accent was really prominent in that one moment. Emma's accent was basically gone, and you could only hear it if you listened to her very carefully.

She murmured a soft "sorry", and looked to the carpeted floor with shame written all over her face.

"Now, I admit, your Dad was totally wrong in not telling you about this, and you have every right to be angry, but PLEASE, don't take it out on me. And, Annica...you never know, you might just like her. Now, of course, there's the chance that you might not, but let's think positive, kay?" Emma asked, a sincere expression evident on her expression.

"Yeah. Thanks...and sorry." Annica sighed.

"No prob, girlie. Now, do you at least know what 'Mummy Dearest' looks like?" Emma asked, flopping onto a nearby couch.

"Yeah...he at least had the courtesy to enclose a picture." Annica handed it over to Emma who shrieked.

"NO FLIPPING WAY!" Emma screamed.

* * *

Jazz walked out of class, and heard a strange sound. It sounded as if someone was crying...near the Boy's Locker Rooms? Jazz bit her lip.

She had promised to meet the girls in the Dorm Lobbies...then again, what rush was she in? She was ninety-nice point nine percent sure that Sam wanted her blood. Why would she sprint to her deathbed?

Did she LOOK like Thelma or Louise? Nuh-uh...besides, they drove their car off of a cliff...Jazz paused in her tracks wondering how exactly her thoughts were relevant. Oh yeah. Right. She had decided to investigate rather than be paralyzed from the legs up...

She tiptoed, as to not startle the person. She let out a soft gasp as her eyes fell onto the sight of Dash Baxter, the substitute teacher she and Emma had had much earlier that day, and the boys' football coach.

"Dashton, get UP, and stop sniveling. Now, your father and I are here because we are highly aware of your failures. Your father became the coach because he not only saw the potential you had as a child, but he knew how to access it. Dash, you aren't like these other people. You are a BAXTER." the woman spat.

"B-But Mom, I d-don't wanna pl-play foot...ball... for those reasons. I-I just want to play." Dash choked out in between struggled breaths.

"**WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T WANT TO PLAY FOOTBALL 'FOR THOSE REASONS'? OF COURSE YOU DO! WE ARE YOUR PARENTS, AND WHEN WE ASK SOMETHING OF YOU, YOU ARE TO DO IT. **

**"'YOU JUST WANT TO PLAY' HUH? LIKE WHAT? A DAMNED PANSY? I PLAYED FOOTBALL FOR MORE THAN JUST THE 'SPORT', YOUR GRANDFATHER PLAYED FOOTBALL AND NOT JUST BECAUSE HE WANTED TO 'PLAY', AND SO HAVE THE GENERATIONS BEFORE US. AND I'LL BE DAMNED IF YOU WON'T PLAY IT TOO!**" the coach shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Carter. Settle down. The boy's simply _lost his mind_," the substitute said soothingly, glaring daggers at Dash. "Now, we have to be on our way. Especially not to arise suspicion," the woman said, coldly.

The coach walked away, simply saying, "I'll see you Sophia."

The substitute simply nodded curtly, and walked towards where Jazz was hidden behind the wall. Jazz quickly got up and walked towards the woman as if she were just passing through.

"Hi." she smiled brightly, hoping she didn't seem too nervous, nor too eager.

"Hello." the woman answered.

"My name's Jazz. I _really loved_ your lecture to the senior classes. It was enlightening. Ms...Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name." Jazz told the older blonde woman, hoping the anxiousness she felt was not in her voice.

"I didn't give it. But, if you must know, it's Sophia. Sophia Baxter. Ms. Baxter to the likes of you. Did you _NEED_ anything?" the woman asked, looking Jazz up and down suspiciously.

"No." Jazz said, trying to hide her shock.

_"Nothing you haven't already given me..."_ she thought as she bolted towards the dorms.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed the revised version of Chapter 2!


	3. The Crazed Up Things That Change It All

Ahh

Here's the third revision, guys. This is the last chapter that I wrote before my year-long break. Hopefully, in the next ten chapters, there won't be much revising to be done.

Keyarrah

* * *

"What?" Annica asked her wide-eyed friend. "WHAT?!"

Emma gulped. "She's...she's..." all of a sudden she fainted.

"UGHH! THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A DRAMA QUEEN! EMILY ALEXANDREA COURT! IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR LAZY BUTT UP AND TELL ME!" Annica shouted at the top of her lungs.

She kneeled over her and shook the girl who was out cold, still screaming, while trying to breach her lung capacity. This was the sight Sam and Roxie walked in on.

"Erm...guys? What the heck are you doing?" Roxie asked, brushing a red streak out of her face.

"THIS...DUMB...BLONDE...FAINTED...OUT...ON...ME!" Annica yelled, still shaking the girl.

"Uh-huh...and you're shaking her like a maraca...why?" Sam asked, an eyebrow raised.

Annica sighed, and quickly told her story and what had happened before the girl fainted.

"Oh...Okay..." Roxie replied, waiting until Annica continued shaking their friend before she mouthed the words "She's lost it..." and twirled her finger around her ear in a rapid motiod.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Uh huh..." she said slowly, giving them all weird looks. She was about to suggest group therapy when a panting Jazz ran in.

"YOU!" Sam screamed. "I'll kill you!" Sam lunged at her friend with great force.

"Ughh! NOT NOW!" Jazz exclaimed, smoothly moving out of the way, causing Sam to barely miss the lamp.

"Oh my gosh! The horrid substitute Em and I had…-why is Em on the ground, anyway?-… is actually Dash's MOM! And the coach is his Dad. Can you say 'School Scandal'?" Jazz cried.

"Not three times real fast...hey...why does Roxie have two heads?" a dizzy Sam asked as she sat up off of the ground, clutching onto the lamp to keep her balance.

Roxie simply raised an eyebrow, and looked away without a word.

Jazz rolled her eyes and sat in the recliner across the room. The picked up a photo off of the floor, and looked at it closely.

"Hey, Annica...why do you have a picture of Dash's mom?"

"What? No...that's my dad's fianc-...Oh crap..."

"Feh. And the world wonders why boarding schools are always picked for soap operas..." Roxie muttered under her breath.

By the time that Emma had come to, everyone was sitting around, silently breathing in the thick tension. The fact that it was now at least eleven at night didn't help either, for the shadowy silhouettes around the room were not only unnerving, but adding an unnecessary eeriness that just screamed 'mystery', and 'grab the Scooby snacks and let's split this joint'...but of course, that idea was a bit...eccentric.

Which is exactly why Roxie of all people was thinking just that. Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice, which she later recognized as Sam's.

"Em, Jazz, are you positively sure that that woman is...erm... -Ms...or Mrs...or...WHATEVER- are you sure that that woman is Dash's mom?" Sam asked, exasperatedly brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"Sam, although it is possible that it might just be a look-a-like or something, we both recognized her. Sam, Dash's mother is our substitute...and our substitute...is Annica's new mom." Jazz sighed, as if knowing that she was defeated.

"No." Annica said sternly. "Not if I can help it."

"Where you goin'?" Emma asked.

"Umm...the girl's gymnasium. I left something there. And I just need to take a walk and think." Annica explained.

"And this can't wait until...I don't know...morning?" Sam asked.

"NO!" Annica snapped before running off.

The others watched in confusion as Annica bolted out of the dormitories, and to somewhere in the school. After a few moments, Roxie spoke up.

"Hey...guys...don't teachers stay in the school too?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"I mean, do they leave to go to their homes at the end of the day, or do they all have rooms or whatever?" Roxie asked.

"Rooms. Why?" Sam asked.

Roxie waved her hand impatiently. "Where are they? What direction?"

"Umm...last time I checked, it was to the right of the first nurse's office, and to the left of the girl's third floor... gymnasium..." Jazz said, almost whispering the last word.

"Crap. Come on. Let's go find her before she gets caught, or worse does something stupid." Emma said.

The others gave a quick nod of agreement, and quietly rushed out of the dormitories.

* * *

Annica took a pregnant pause as she reached the teachers' sleeping quarters.

'_What am I doing? Why am I doing this? HOW is this gonna help?...And what exactly to I plan to do when I find this woman?'_

It was obvious to Annica that she had not planned this confrontation out as well as she had first thought. She was about to take a deep breath and just barge right in when she heard something.

"Just WHAT do you think you're doing, Miss. Reed?" a voice hissed, sounding rather annoyed.

Annica whipped her head around to see Jazz, Roxie, Emma and Sam, slowly coming towards her, looking very unhappy.

"What the heck? You scared the CRAP outta me! I thought you were a teacher or something!" Annica said, putting a hand over her still steadily pounding heart.

"We're gonna _**BEAT **_the crap outta you if you don't get your scrawny self back to the dorms! You're after a teacher. A TEACHER, BRITANNICA. And on top of that, you lied to us. You LIED to US!" Roxie snapped, keeping her voice low.

"And WHAT were you planning to do after you did find Dash's Mom, huh? Did you think about that? Wh-What if she gets to your dad before you, and gets you kicked out of Casper? Then what, Annica? And Roxie's right.

"You did lie to us. We could have...we would have helped! And you obviously needed the help if you were about to go in and attempt to murder a teacher. I can understand why being Dash's stepsister might bring you to a life of crime, but…" Sam sighed, her hand to her forehead in a tired manner.

"Oh my God. She's a murderer. She's a lying murderer. Annica, how could you!" Emma cried out, looking horrified.

Roxie slapped her in the back of the head. "Snap out of it, Em."

"Look...let's just go back to the dorms, and Annica, you just need to sleep on this, okay? Focus on something else." Jazz suggested.

"Like the prank you have yet to pull on the preppy, preppy princess." Sam piped up, an evil grin on her face.

"Booo-xers..." Jazz murmured in singsong.

Sam's grin immediately fell from her face and a menacing and diabolical grimace was put in its place.

"Erm...right...let's just go to bed..." Emma suggested, leading all of the girls in the opposite direction towards the stairs that would take them back to their dorms.

"Those girls are making it far too easy for me," Sophia whispered to herself as she held a glass of wine in her hand. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned against her door in her forest green robe. "They're coming to _me._"

"Oh," the woman smiled. "How I love the color of crimson in the morning." She gazed into her glass before taking the last sip in it. With another meaningful glance towards the stairs that the girls had just gone down, she went into her room and closed the door.

There was much to do.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed it.


	4. The Picking Up & The Crashing Back Down

Okay guys, this is Chapter 4 revised, I hope that it meets the standards of you all.

Keyarrah

* * *

"I'm going to ask this once and only once," Roxie said with an annoyed glare. "WHY THE _**HELL **_AM I DRESSED LIKE A CUPCAKE?!"

Annica sighed in annoyance, as if she'd already gone over this about a thousand times, which in fact she had.

"Language..." she chastised, ignoring the way Roxie glared at her and rolled her eyes.

"And look. I'm not going to sit back and let my father be hurt. You told me to sleep on it. I did. Now, as pissed off as I am at him, which might I add is extremely pissed, he doesn't deserve this, and neither does my family in general." she explained.

"...Okay. We get that. But why are we dressed like preps on speed?" Sam asked dully.

Annica beamed at her. "Because we need to be for my grand plan. I told you I slept on it. And now, a week later, I am ready to initiate my master plan."

Emma rolled her eyes, and to Jazz she murmured, "Bet ya five bucks we get suspended..." to which Jazz snorted.

"Uggh. I'm wearing PINK." Roxie groaned loudly in exasperation.

It was true. The girls were dressed as "Cupcakes", which is what Casper called their pep squad.

Casper had to be the most spirited school on the face of the planet. They not only had a pep squad, but a cheerleading squad, a drill team, a group of twirlers, and of course almost every sport you could think of for these squads to cheer for.

Their school mascot was still being decided upon, seeing as everyone had his or her different opinions on what it should be. Paulina for instance thought that it should be a giant pink bunny with a giant lilac 'cheer purse'.

Sam bluntly stated that if they did that, that she'd shoot it. Emma was about to laugh until she saw the evil look on her friend's face. Scary much?

Sam gave a sigh, and looked down at what she was wearing for about the seven-hundredth time in the last three minutes. She wore a white t-shirt with dark purple shadowing and a bright sky and cobalt blue mixed pleated skirt, with blue platform sandals that of course had a cherry button on the front strap. Leave it up to Annica to somehow come up with these outfits and then force them all to wear them.

She sighed as she eyed the picture of a cupcake on the center of the shirt which annoyingly enough also adorned a giant bright red cherry. It didn't help that the cherry was bright red, and every time it caught her eye and made her look down, it looked like she was checking out her own boobs...

'_At least I'm not alone,'_ she thought with a sigh as she eyed her friends.

They were all wearing the exact same thing; the only difference was in their shirt colors. All the shirts were white, but the shadowing was respectively different.

Jazz's was electric blue, Annica's was shocking neon green, which was much different than what she would normally wear, Roxie's was pink (much to her horror), and Emma's was a bright sunset orange.

They were all forced to wear red lipstick, (which actually didn't bother Roxie much, since she did it already) and told to style their hair differently than usual for 'appeal'. Jazz had straightened her hair, and let it flair out at the end in what she referred to as a "rockstar chic" look, Annica had straightened her naturally wavy hair, Roxie had put her black and red streaked hair up in a ponytail which curled at the end, Emma had tied her hair up in a long ponytail and let two wisps of hair frame her face, and Sam...Sam had let her hair down.

It wasn't as if it was a big deal, or at least it wouldn't have been if Sam had done it more often. She straightened it, and it hung well below her shoulders.

"Oh my god..." Jazz gasped when she saw her.

"Sam, you look awesome." Emma had smiled in awe.

"Yeah, yeah." Sam simply sighed, running a hand through her long, silky raven locks. Now the five of them stood in Roxie's dorm room, just fixing themselves up before it was time to head down to the courtyard where apparently Annica's "grand plan" would be taking place.

"So what exactly are we planning to do here, Miss. Mastermind?" Jazz asked Annica.

"Mmk. This is what's gonna happen..." Annica explained her 'brilliant plan' once more for the next twelve and a half minutes before the girls set off to complete Annica's plan.

The next thing the girls knew they were about to be pushed out onto the field...in front of the entire school...

Sam walked behind the stands timidly, only to bump into...the one and only Danny Fenton, all decked out in his football uniform.

As she landed flat on her butt, the only thing going through her mind was,

'_Please let me get amnesia…Please let me forget I just did that…'_

"Oh! Hey Sam. Sorry about that. You okay?" Danny asked, giving her a hand to help her up.

She sat there in the somewhat moist grass just staring at his hand for what felt like forever, until she regained her senses, felt her butt getting damp, and took it.

Sam felt her heart palpitating what felt like a thousand beats a minute, and as Danny helped her up, she barely noticed that he hadn't let go of her hand. He stood there staring at her for a moment, not saying anything. He looked into her eyes for a moment, before studying her further.

"You…look different…besides the…erm…new wardrobe." Danny smiled awkwardly, tilting his head to the side like a small, innocent child.

Sam gave a small laugh, wondering where she'd found her voice from, and replied, "I let my hair down."

"Oh…well…you should…just…do it more, okay?" Danny said, his tone making it seem more like a question than anything.

Sam gave a small nod, and a soft smile, and before she knew it, Danny was leaning in. He cupped her face gently and just as Sam closed her eyes, bracing herself for the kiss that she'd pictured him placing on her soft lips so many times in each and every dream and daydream she'd had about him, he picked a blade of grass off the side of her cheek, and beamed at his work.

"That's better…uhm…Sam, you okay?" Danny asked her, noticing her closed eyes, and expression.

Sam's heart deflated. "Yeah. I've…just got a headache. Thought I'd close my eyes for a moment, that's all." She murmured, feeling her heart sink into her stomach.

"Oh okay. Well, feel better. I gotta go. Later Manson!" He called, running off.

"It's okay." She heard Jazz whisper in her ear. "He can only be so oblivious for so long."

Sam wondered how long Jazz had been there as she sighed, depressed and disappointed. She should have known better than to have such an idiotic false hope.

As time went on, the Casper High Ghouls had scored a few downs, but the Harrison High Moguls were ahead by one point. Annica anticipated the ending of the game, only because it was when she would go on with her friends.

The only problem with this was, they were going against the official Cupcakes, which of course consisted of Paulina and her 'crew'.

Emma flirted with an injured player, biting her lip every so often and giggling at what he said, even if it made absolutely no sense to her. She might as well get some fun within this horror, and if it meant confusing an air headed jock, then so be it.

Sam sat with Jazz and Roxie watching Danny sprint backwards as the ball soared through the air. There were twelve seconds on the clock…and as soon as the clock got down to two, Danny caught the ball in a jump, and rolled into a touchdown.

The crowd screamed his name, and there were foghorns being blown all over the place. It sort of reminded Sam why she stayed away from public events such as these, even if it was Danny, these things were all the same to her: loud and stupid.

Danny flashed a dazzling smile toward his sister, and she returned it. "C'mon!" Jazz cried, excitedly, yanking Sam toward the middle of the field where his team, a few fans, and a bunch of cheerleaders were stampeding Danny.

Sam ran along, though not as enthused as her friend, until she felt her heart being smashed into thousands of little pieces.

There was Danny…in a congratulatory lip-lock with Paulina.

The last words she heard before she felt her eyes well up with tears was,

"Hey! Guys! Let's go! We're on after this!"

It felt official. She, Samantha Elizabeth Manson, was officially heartbroken and alone.


	5. The Dance Dance Revolutionary War

The next thing that Sam knew she was standing on the outside stage, which was one of the last places that she wanted to be at that moment. All Sam wanted to do was go run into her room and bury herself under the covers.

Everyone knew that Danny liked Paulina…but Sam didn't know they were dating. Math class…in math he had…she shook her head and tried to focus on the task at hand. There would be no more thinking about Daniel Fenton.

He was taken…taken by the enemy. She shook her head again.

'_No, Sam,'_ she thought to herself grimly, _'this is not war. And if it was, you lost. Terribly.' _

The stage faced all of the bleachers and the large field that moments ago the world…okay, most of the school had just unknowingly seen her heart break into thousands of pieces right in front of their own eyes. At the moment, she was just glad that there were thick curtains that hid them from view from the quote-unquote 'adoring public'.

"Now, remember the steps: left, right, swish, and drop, hair flick, seductive lip bite, hip swivel 1,2, glide!" Annica recited.

"This sounds like a Britney Spears video meets Paris Hilton's newest porn video…" Roxie glowered. "Where'd you learn this from? MTV?"

"It's not! I promise. Altogether, it'll seem very tasteful…" Annica promised.

"These outfits aren't even 'tasteful' and you expect me to believe _**that**_ bull? Did you or did you not just say 'hip swivel'?" Emma asked.

"Shut up! Okay? Stop criticizing…Look. It'll all turn out okay. AND, besides, I'm also fulfilling my duties to Sam."

At this Sam looked up from her melancholy thoughts. "How so?" Sam asked, now interested in this conversation.

"You wanted a princess knocked off her throne? So…what better way than to take it from her personally?" Annica asked, holding something up in front of Sam.

"Is that what I think it is…?" Sam asked, eyeing it suspiciously.

"This is the cupcake crown." Annica beamed.

"You're screwing me over, right? There's actually one of those?" Roxie snorted in disbelief.

Emma and Jazz tried to hold in their giggles, as Sam just stared at it.

"When I said all that stuff about her tiara hitting her in her butt I didn't mean literally…you know just so we're clear on that." Sam told her friend warily, still eyeing the bright pink crown.

"So, uh…no Spiderman, X-Men, _Dun-dun-dah-dah,_ Wonder Woman throwing crowns into the posterior of the enemy please…"

"Duh. Which is why you're going to win it from her." Annica told Sam.

"Six minutes until you're on, girls." A balding man told them, coming out. He looked suspiciously like one of the janitors…

"Yeah, thanks." Emma nodded. "Hear that? Six minutes."

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway. I'm not wearing that…that…pink, pointy, cotton candy **throw up** hat." Sam declared, stubbornly.

"You won't have to wear it. You'll just win it from her. PLEASE? Sam. It'll be a win-win situation. I can get closer to Dash's mom to figure out what she wants with my Dad, and YOU get to humiliate Pink Puke-y Perfect Perky Peppy Preppy Princess Paulina." Annica persuaded.

"Try saying _**that**_ three times real fast…" Emma muttered. Roxie snorted while Jazz nodded with a sigh.

"What does _Paulina_ have to do with _Dash_? In case you didn't notice, she's dating Danny." Sam blurted out a little harsher than she meant to.

Jazz looked at her friend worriedly.

"Paulina and Dash are in the same clique. So if we replace Paulina as Cupcake Queen—Roxie, stop rolling your eyes, YES, there IS SO such a thing—then we can get closer to Dash and potentially his mother." Annica explained. Sam looked at her for a moment as if in deep thought about her options.

"Fine. What do I have to do?" Sam finally asked.

"Be the team leader." Annica smiled nervously.

"Ooh. Okay. Uh-huh. Got it. Yeah…no. There's no way in hot burning HELL you're going to make ME the team leader!" Sam cried.

"But you already agreed!!" Annica cried back.

"Well. This is going nowhere fast…" Jazz sighed again.

"That was **before** you told me I was going to have to lead this perk squad!" Sam countered.

"Look, as much as you may hate being the center of attention, that's basically all it is. Same things as us, except you do the extra piece Annica taught us last night alone, and then we follow. It's like Simon says…except you're Sam, so it's more like SAM says. Look, Sammie. We do what you say!" Roxie grinned.

"That's all?" Sam asked.

"That's all." Jazz, Emma, Roxie, and Annica chorused.

"One minute. Get in your places, ladies." The man from before directed.

"C'mon Manson. Let's show Danny what he missed out on." Emma whispered as the curtain opened.

And that was all it took besides a deep breath and a handful of courage for Sam to get in front, and start dancing like she'd never danced before.

The beginning of the music blared out of the speakers around them as the familiar tune of Willa Ford's "I Wanna Be Bad" began to play.

_**Oh, I, I, I  
I wanna be bad with you baby  
I, I, I, I  
I wanna be bad with you baby**_

Sam stood in the front of her friends confidently, and she felt extremely Supergirl-ish with her hair blowing in the wind, especially since she was in a skimpy blue skirt, and was know starting to wonder how Kara Kent went from farm girl to skimpy skirt wearer.

The girls were in the shape of a star, Sam obviously in the front, Emma on her right, Roxie on her left, Jazz diagonally behind Emma, and Annica diagonally behind Roxie.

The instant Willa's voice blared out the girls came to life, hands on their hips, swiveling, and giving a seductive look here or there every once in a while.

_**Do you, understand what I need, need (from you)  
Just let me be the girl to show you (you)  
Everything that she can be is everything that I can be  
I wanna be  
My turn  
Let me let you know that I can (I can)  
Promise that I won't do that**_

Sam took a right step, and did a Broadway like turn with her butt poked out and hands on her knees. She flicked her head back, and her hair tousled all around her in a not-so innocent way.

The guys could hardly believe their eyes; the jocks especially could hardly believe their eyes, gothic freak, Samantha Manson, could be…hot?

_**  
So boy, say the time and place 'cause you make me wanna misbehave**_

Annica, Jazz, Roxie, and Emma followed after her, move for move, perfectly. Paulina was _fuming_. Danny stared at them in a mix of emotions. What the hell were his sister and her friends doing?

Step after step, hair toss, complicated move, one after another, the girls were in perfect harmony, even lip-synching along with the words. They looked like a girl band almost, or at least N'SYNC backup dancers.

"Is that Sam?"

"Sam who? From English Literature? No…right?"

"It is!! Dude…what _**bra size**_ is she?"

"Hah. Look at Emma…always knew she had it in her…"

"Screw that. Look at Jazz. Always thought she was uptight. Guess only her clothes are tight now…"

That was all it took for Danny to get pissed even more than he already was. He yanked the guy up by his collar, and glared at him, calming down as his eyes flashed an eerie green.

"That's…my sister…jackass." He growled, trying to keep his anger at bay.

"Alright man! Ch-c-chill! I-I'm sorry!! I'm sorry!!" The boy cried, flailing as he was lifted off the ground.

"Down Danny boy…" Tucker laughed nervously, putting a hand on his friend's arm to mentally tell him to calm down more before he either hurt someone or worse, someone found out his secret.

Danny threw the guy on the ground, and gave him a warning glare before turning to Tucker, who had a stupid grin on his face.

_**I wanna be bad  
You make bad look so good  
I got things on my mind  
I never thought I would  
I, I wanna be bad (bad)  
You make bad feel so good  
I'm losing all my cool**_  
_**I'm about to break the rules**_

_**I, I wanna be bad**_

"What are you grinning about?" Danny asked, rolling his eyes as he turned from the girls' performance.

Luckily this song wasn't that long…

"Dude. Do you see Roxie? She's not only a tech wiz, but an awesome dancer too? Can we SAY flexible?" Tucker grinned.

"You're going to Hell…" Danny murmured, turning worried blue eyes to Sam, who was flaunting around in blue heels.

"Hey! I wasn't even thinking like that…heh hehe…but I am now! …Hey dude…what are you staring at? …Or who?" Tucker inquired.

_**I wanna be bad with you baby  
I, I, I, I, I wanna be bad with you baby**_

_**What's up?  
Tell me what to do, how to be, teach me  
All your rules from A to Z,  
But I don't want your other girl to see  
that you're messin' round with me**_

"Dude…are you staring at that Samantha girl? You just had Paulina, the hottest girl in the history of histories of school just kiss you, smack dab on the lips in front of the whole school, claiming you as hers, and you're staring after some pretty little goth girl with unusual purple eyes?" Tucker asked.

"Amethyst." Danny quickly corrected.

Tucker raised an eyebrow and coughed.

"So says the one after her punk rocker best friend…" Danny reminded. "And it's not even _**like **_that. She's a nice girl, I guess. I guess you could call us friends, I mean, we talk, she's best friends with my older sister, she helps me study…she's smart, funny, seems like she can hold her own—"

"You're rambling lover boy…" Tucker grunted.

"ANYWAY, she's pretty cool girl. I don't know Tucker…I just thought she was different from all the other girls. I… guess I was wrong." Danny sighed, casting one last disappointed look toward the stage before walking off to leave Tucker to gawk at the girl, but not before making sure he wasn't looking at Jazz, and oddly enough, Sam.

Did he have feelings for the not-so Angel of Darkness?

_**Should I boy  
Tell me what I got is what you want  
Tell, Tell me do I, I turn you on  
I don't want no one judging me**_

_**I wanna be bad  
You make bad look so good  
I got things on my mind  
I never thought I would  
I, I wanna be bad (bad)  
You make bad feel so good  
I'm losing all my cool  
I'm about to break the rules  
I, I wanna be bad**_

The star turned into a line, with Sam flaunting backwards in a sexy stride, to cut through the line and become the center. The girls turned about face and did some twisted version of the 'Bunny Hop' mixed with a sideways 'Can-Can'.

_**I wanna be bad with you baby  
I, I, I, I, I wanna be bad with you baby  
I, I**_

_**I wanna be bad with you baby  
I, I, I, I, I wanna be bad with you baby  
I, I**_

After another minute of 'line dancing' the star was once more, and the dancing commenced. Danny sat backstage where the girls had just come from before they went out to make their big debut.

Of course, Danny knew nothing of Annica's grand plan and as far as he knew, they were just out there for a meaningless fluff crown, a lot of the wrong type of attention, and simply out there for all of the wrong reasons.

Danny couldn't figure out why he cared so much about this, though. He, of course didn't want people ogling at his older sister, but he knew she could hold her own.

The thing about Jazz was almost like his…his cover-up for these weird feelings he was starting to get about a certain raven-haired girl with amethyst eyes.

For reasons he couldn't explain, he grew livid when he heard those guys talking about Sam as they had been. It infuriated him even more to know that they weren't the only morons doing it.

The fact that they'd made that comment about Jazz was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

Danny sat there sullenly, as he wondered why, when all of a sudden he'd finally gotten who he'd wanted after all this time…he was thinking of the person who unbeknownst to him was only on that stage because she returned the very feelings he had inside, and was trying to desperately grab his attention.

Too bad he wasn't even watching anymore.

_**I wanna be bad  
You make bad look so good  
I got things on my mind  
I never thought I would  
I, I wanna be bad (bad)  
You make that feel so good  
I'm losing all my cool  
I'm about to break the rules  
I, I wanna be bad**_

As the song ended, the girls stopped in dramatic diva poses that were so out of character for them that it was demoralizing.

They were greeted with loud cheers, hoots, hollers, and the girls who weren't glaring at them in disgust were clapping, (some in awe, some in disinterest), or giving them jealous scoffs.

Sam searched the crowd for Danny to see his face. Was he impressed? Did he see her in a whole new light now? Was he gawking? The hope left her eyes for the third time that day, when she discovered he was nowhere to be found.

Annica led the other three up there with Sam, and they bowed. Sam, wasn't paying attention, and was staring desperately into the crowd.

"Bow you tart…" Annica hissed.

Sam quickly remembered where she was, bowed, and ran off stage, ignoring all the hoots and hollers.

"Heh. I so got a picture of her underwear." Dash whispered to Kwan, holding up his digital camera.

"Are you serious, man? Sweet! Come on, let's go to the Photo Lab." Kwan said excitedly.

"And then…to the copy room." Dash nodded mischievously.

"Hey…can we like…make photocopies of my butt?" Kwan asked.

Dash just stared at him. "Let's go stupid! No one wants to see your butt, ESPECIALLY not ME!"

Star snorted. "Guess that rules out our gay theory…Hey Paul…'sup? What's wrong? You aren't taking that little geeky slut show seriously are you?"

"Just...just…just SHUT **UP** STAR! How hurry up. We're next." Paulina snapped, flicking her hair and ignoring the fact that she hit someone smack in the face and knocked them down, before walking off.

"What?! After them? But...but…that's like Elton John following after an X-Tina concert!!" Star cried, running after Paulina.

As the girls made their way backstage Sam bumped shoulders with Paulina, who wasn't exactly 'Peppy' or 'Perky', or any of the other 'P' things Annica had named earlier.

"Congratulations Sam. You're Queen of the Whores." Paulina spat.

Jazz smirked, quick to defend her hurting friend.

"Don't worry Sam," she said loudly. "She's just upset because you took her title."

Paulina spun on her heel. "Excuse me? You think you can talk to me that way just because you're Danny's sister?"

"You heard her. Pink Puke-y Perfect Perky Peppy Preppy Princess **Prostitute **Paulina." Emma glared.

"I like hers better." Annica whispered to Roxie who sniggered.

"I…don't even know what you just said. ANYWAY. This…isn't over Manson. Your little friends may have been here **today** but we'll see each other again. Alone. Watch your back…bitch…" Paulina added, walking away.

Sam just stared after her. Great. More problems. Sam turned around to see someone slipping away, and she knew instantly that it was Danny, and that he'd seen everything.

As she watched him slip away she was reminded of how he'd slipped out of her heart and into the arms of Pink Puke-y Perfect Perky Peppy Preppy Princess Prostitute Paulina.

She might have been all of those things...but she also had Danny.

As "Trouble" by Pink began to play and Paulina began to dance her little dance, Sam fell to the floor in a slump and began to cry.

"Baby Sitter's Little Sister! You guys were utterly and completely out of l—" Mr. Lancer was cut off by Jazz.

"This…isn't the best time Mr. Lancer." She tried to explain.

Mr. Lancer nodded, and walked away, but of course not before tripping over a curtain.

"This is gonna be too easy. He embarrasses HIMSELF!" Emma muttered to herself.

The girls all knelt down and held a crying Sam, who was beginning to resent Annica's whole stupid 'grand plan'. She cried even harder when she thought of how Danny probably left after he most likely agreed with his girlfriend. His girlfriend. Paulina.

Sam let out a heart-wrenching sob as it really dawned on her. What went wrong?


	6. The Rumor Mills Begin To Spin

In Chapter 5, the original version, there was a preview of this chapter. The correct movie was "A Walk To Remember", and the two reviewers who guessed correctly were Snea and Strange Organized Chaos who both received characters in the fic. Genesis, Snea's character will be introduced in this chapter, while Jancey, Strange Organized Chaos' character will be introduced later on.

Enjoy the Chapter 6 revision,

Keyarrah

* * *

Emma didn't get much sleep the night following their 'debut'. It wasn't the attention that was getting to her, because as conceited as it may have sounded, the girl was used to it. Why wouldn't she be? Her long flowing strawberry blonde hair was envied. Girls attempted to dye their hair to achieve the naturalness she had, but to no avail.

Then there was her flawless skin and her enchanting blue eyes. She was also 'exotic' as some people liked to call her (mostly the male population of course). She was from England, and everyone knew it.

Those were not the reasons though, that Emily Alexandrea Court lay in her bed wide-awake staring at the dark ceiling. She lay there wondering about her friend Annica and the whole reason why they'd even gone out on that stage in the first place. It was a part of Annica's grand plan, that much she knew. She also knew that the whole thing counted on Mrs. Baxter being at the show.

To Annica's disappointment, Emma recalled that the woman had not shown up. She also recalled another thing happening: Sam crying her eyes out after the show. Yes, the girls had won the cupcake challenge.

Yes, Annica was the first to complete her assignment. Oh, and yes, Preppy Perfect Pukey Princess…oh you know! _Paulina_ was not quite humiliated, but her pride and ego were chopped down quite a few blocks bordering on the lines of 'humility'.

As Emma turned over on her side restlessly with a sigh, she heard,

"Can't sleep either?" called out from the darkness.

She knew who it was, seeing as she not only knew her voice, she was the only other person in the room.

Emily turned to where she imagined her roommate would be and replied a simple, "Nope."

Her roommate, Genesis 'Gigi' McFarlen gave an understanding grunt of some sort, and she heard the girl sit up.

"Something on your mind?" the other girl asked Emma.

"I…suppose you could say that." Emma responded carefully.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Gigi asked politely.

"Honestly, somewhat…but… yeah, no offense, but not to you." Emma answered softly.

Gigi looked at her in annoyance, but it wasn't as if Emma could actually tell in the dark…

"You know…you needn't be _**wary**_ around me…" she replied offhandedly.

"Look…again, no offence Genesis…but…I hardly know you." Emma explained, throwing her a countering look of annoyance.

"And whose fault is that?" Gigi retorted. "I was simply making conversation when YOU felt the need to get all reserved on me as if you don't like me or something."

"I never SAID…ugh! LOOK. I know you may **think** that you're superior to me just because you're a junior, and because you're seventeen. And you may THINK that you're hot stuff just because you're from Oxford, or because you have more of an accent than I do,

"but let me tell _**you**_ something, **PRINCESS**, you are NOT better than me, and I am in NO mood. So goodnight. Have nice dreams of Hell because I can TELL that you're homesick you freaking spawn…" Emma spat out all in one breath.

Gigi looked at her unaffectedly, rolled her eyes then turned over. "So much for nice conversation…" she muttered.

Still trying to regain her breath Emma breathlessly hissed, "…Screw…you…"

She turned her back to Gigi's back and was then faced with the blaring numbers on the clock. She internally groaned. She'd never get back to sleep now…

* * *

Roxie sat in Ms. Desal's class absentmindedly staring over at her friend Sam who looked utterly miserable. She sat hunched over and balled up in her seat directly in front of one, Mr. Daniel Fenton, and there was a difficult tension between the two of them, for almost the same reasons.

Danny's peculiar behavior toward the raven-haired girl in front of him was simply out of mixed emotions, while Sam, in her mixed emotions for him simply thought he was avoiding her because she had been rude to his girlfriend.

In reality, Danny hadn't even been paying attention, and it could be wondered if he would give a flying crap if he even had heard. Of course, neither of the three aforementioned knew of these things.

As Roxie stared over at her friend, she felt a tap beside her. She looked over to see Tucker standing there expectantly.

"Uhhh…yah?" Roxie asked, praying to whoever was listening that she was not as bright red as she felt she was.

"Are you ready?" Tucker asked her.

Roxie cast a quick glance over to the right corner of the room where Danny and Sam were, and was glad to see she'd caught Sam's eye, who winked at her through her suffering.

She also noticed Danny staring idly at the back of Sam's head, and chose to remember that for future reference.

"Foooor?" Roxie asked, raising an eyebrow in what she hoped and prayed was a sexy way, but had a feeling that it wasn't.

Tucker held up her calculator with a smile. "Tutor time."

Ooh. Ding. Lightbulb. Duh.

"Oh! Right! Yeah. Sure." Roxie nodded. "I just gotta tell Ms. D."

Roxie got up and flushed a little when she tripped over her own bookbag, but she luckily enough made it to the front of the room without falling to pieces like an absolute moron.

"Ms. D?" Roxie asked uncertainly, attempting to get the woman's attention.

Ms. Desal was currently grading papers when she looked up. "Yes, Roxanne?"

Roxie cringed. "Yeah. Tucker's gonna help me. You know…like you said…"

Ms. Desal beamed. "Yes. Oh, good. You two remembered. Ooh, and you know today we were going to buddy up anyway."

Roxie shot her a look of confusion. "We…were gonna go on AIM?" she asked incredulously.

"What is…AIM…? Never mind that. No. Anyway. Buddy up…as in partner work." Ms. Desal explained.

"Oh…" Roxie grinned sheepishly. Who the heck was supposed to know _that_?

The next thing Roxie knew she was being paired up with Tucker Foley to do God knows what. But of course, it could only get worse from there…

"Let's see…since Roxanne," Roxie cringed. "…is with Tucker, that means that Samantha," Sam looked up in disdain to her full name. "…and Daniel are to be partners today!" Ms. Desal decided, reading from her chart in front of her.

Danny and Sam's heads whipped toward each other, then they both quickly looked down.

Roxie bit her lip. Whuh-oh…this would be fun…_**not**_. Roxie's hands were itching to rearrange the seating chart once more…

* * *

"Now. In 1792—…blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah…—…ocean…—…blah-blah-blah-blah-blah…—…dead."

That might as well have been what the teacher was saying, since that was all Jazz was hearing. She wasn't even sure she was on the right page, really. In fact at the moment, she couldn't even recall her teacher's name.

She was currently staring at the back of Dash Baxter's head. He was talking to Kwan about something. They were snickering and acting freakishly giddy. Finally Ms. What's-Her-Face looked up in annoyance and asked the boys if they wanted to share something.

They both told her no, but Jazz could have sworn that Dash muttered, "Not until later anyway…" which sent the boys into a laugh fest. At this point Ms. What's-Her-Face got pissed and sent them both out on gold slips for disrupting her class. Jazz sighed and mentally cursed the unnamable teacher.

It's not as if she truly cared about Dash and his little sidekick getting in trouble for once. It was actually about time in her opinion. It was just that…for some bizarre reason, she yearned to learn more about him now that she knew his family secret.

He was a mystery now, and if there was one thing that Jazz liked, it was a good mystery…

* * *

"Annica! Emma!"

The two turned around to see Raven Chaudrey running toward them. Raven was a very petite girl with –how ironic- beautiful raven colored locks that fell to her mid-back. She had a caramel skin complexion, and knew Annica, Sam, Emma, Jazz and Roxie very well.

"Hey Rae. Oh snap. Mad rhymes." Emma laughed.

Annica and Raven joined in before a frown crossed Raven's features. "You guys SO won't be laughing in a minute," she warned.

"Why?" Annica inquired.

"Come see."

Raven led the girls to the next hallway and there they were. The hall was like a jungle almost. Hoots and hollers echoed the hallway. Boys whistled, girls whispered. Their voices like venom.

Emma walked forward a bit and picked a piece of paper off of the floor. Her eyes watered in disbelief before they were filled with rage. She felt Annica next to her and her shoulders tightened as she heard her friend gasp. They had to find Sam, and they had to do it FAST.

Raven nodded to the girls, in an unspoken agreement. They had to find Jazz and Roxie, and make sure that Sam hadn't seen the fliers. They also had to **keep** her from seeing them, and if she had already they could skip to the ass kicking of a lifetime to the idiot who did it…

"EM! ANNICA!" Jazz's frantic voice rang out in the crowd. She ran up to the three, Roxie hot on her trail.

"Where's—"

"Don't know." Annica cut her off.

"Crap. We have to find her. We also have to keep everyone quiet. The easiest way to do that is termination." Raven said.

"We're going to kill them?!" Annica cried.

"No, stupid. We're gonna kill the bad press, a.k.a. the fliers." Roxie explained, rolling her eyes.

"No time to waste. Em and Rae, find Sam. Roxie and Annica, start ripping like hell. I'm gonna get to the bottom of this." Jazz commanded.

The girls turned to do what they were assigned to when they saw Sam coming toward them.

"Crap. Can you tell if she's seen them yet? Look at her face." Raven whispered.

"No…I can't. She looks normal. A little frantic yet normal." Annica murmured.

"Me either. Still worried though." Jazz whispered. Emma nodded.

"Don't be. She's had that look on her face since math. Got partnered with your little Prince Charming, Fenton." Roxie hissed, addressing Jazz.

"Ah." Jazz nodded.

Sam looked up in confusion from her daydreaming with a feeling that all eyes were on her. It was creepy. It was as if everyone was concentrating on her every movement. She suddenly felt extremely self-conscious. Why were they all staring?

"Guys…what's…going on?" Sam questioned.

"Don't…turn around…" Emma said, her eyes wide.

Sam turned around slowly anyway, and suddenly felt like breaking down in tears again, but for a completely different reason. Dash and his stupid friends had taken a picture of Sam's underwear, which were lilac, black, and lacy and cropped the picture, and put them onto a picture of Dash with his hand extended, making it look like he was holding them.

The headline filled her eyes with tears:

_"I Got Into Manson's Pants After The **Peep** Show"_

Sam's world started spinning as she turned around to see her friends ripping literally hundreds of the fliers off of the wall at a time, and stuffing them into nearby trash bins. Tears streamed down her face and she turned right to bolt when she bumped into the person she wanted to see least:

Danny.

Surprisingly, he said nothing, and just held her closely and let her cry all over his brand new shirt.

"Shh…" he whispered into her ear soothingly. "I know it's not true. I know."

All she could do was sniffle and sob meekly into his chest as he held her tighter. "Shh…" she heard him whisper.

"I need you to do something for me, okay?" he whispered soothingly.

Sam sniffled and gave a weak, "Mhm."

"I need you to stay right here. I'm going to be right back. I'm not leaving. Stay right here. Right here with your friends. They care about you." He whispered to her.

His soothing words mixed with the sincerity in his voice willed her to nod, and promise him that she'd stay with them. With that out of the way Danny stalked off into the crowd.

He went down another hall and into an abandoned classroom where he knew they'd be. He was right, he realized, after he heard the cheers and clapping inside of the room. He threw the door open.

"Oh man, Dash! That was CLASSIC!" one of his teammates cheered.

"Yeah boy! That was outta sight!" another yelled, high-fiving Kwan.

"A-yo! Fen-ton!" someone called out, noticing their newest guest.

"Hey, hey, hey! Dan-Dan-ny! What is up my man?" Dash asked, rhyming stupidly and laughing at something someone said.

"Haha! My main man! This is my main man right here!" Dash said, raising a fist that caused a cheerful uproar out of the gaggle of teenage testosterone that was huddled in the room.

"Heh. Yeah. Right. Hey Dash. Walk with me." Danny nodded at the other teen.

"Yeah, okay." Dash agreed, slurring a little. "Party on without me, gents!" he called.

Yeap. It was official. The jerk was beyond wasted.

"So where we goin' Dan-o?" Dash slurred more prominently this time.

"Riiiiight…here." Danny gestured.

Dash looked before him and saw the fliers, the students, and most of all Samantha Manson and her friends.

"AWW YEAH! CAME TO RELISH IN IT, RIGHT?!" Dash cried out in excitement.

It was then that his presence was made known and that the TSAC girls plus Raven, minus Sam were about to lunge for him.

Danny gave a small laugh. "Actually, man…I brought you here to do this." Danny said, giving him a wry, breathy laugh.

It was as if time stopped when Danny punched Dash in the face.

Everyone watched in bewilderment as the blonde jock went down. Dash's arms sprung to life as he hit the hard cobblestone floors of the hallway and he dragged Danny down with him.

Danny shook himself out of the grasps of the drunken quarterback and let the blonde get up on his feet.

"You…SON…OF A-" Dash cut himself off as he put a hand to his head. He was dizzy, and looked as if he were about to be sick.

"Oh man. He's gonna bust a gut!" someone in the crowd of students exclaimed.

Emma made a face of utter disgust for both the comment, and the person who the comment was made about. Dash suddenly regained his stride and swung wildly, only to begin to trip.

He slipped and tried to halt himself on his left heel, looking as if he were doing some type of drunken dance. He then swung again only to hit someone this time. Too bad it was the wrong person.

Jazz gasped at the feeling of being punched in the face.

As cliché as it may have seemed, her head snapped to the left after being punched on the right, and her hand flew to her cheek which was now red, as if on fire.

"Oh…HELL NO!" Roxie screamed, getting ready to lunge herself at the jock.

It suddenly began to seem like a movie. It was like one of those horribly foreshadowed teen flicks where the whole school gets involved in one of those big fights.

Like in Mean Girls when everyone starts ripping each other to shreds, or like in John Tucker Must Die when the cake fight happens. Sam had no idea what was going on, or who was going to hit who; all she knew was that 'Dashton' was going **down**.

Yells of:

"YOU HIT MY SISTER!!" from Danny.

"YOU'RE SUCH A MORON!" from Raven.

"THAT IS MY BEST FRIEND YOU'RE SPREADING LIES ABOUT!" from Annica.

"YOU HEARTLESS, POMPOUS, JERK!" from Emma.

"You…HIT me!" from Jazz.

And of course,

"GRAB HIS LEGS!" from Roxie was yelled at least forty times before Sam stood up from her crumpled state against the wall.

"STOP!" she screamed. "JUST STOP!"

Teachers were going to be coming pretty soon and the last thing they needed was to be caught doing this. Especially when there was still the chance that they were going to get busted for the secret assignments.

There was no room for error, or stupid chances like this. It seemed that she was going to have to be the mature one.

Everyone quieted down to hear Sam finally speak.

"He's not worth it." Sam said quietly. "He is not worth the attention, because that is obviously what he wanted from the start when he made these totally heinous fliers." She said, her eyes beginning to water again.

'_Don't cry, Manson. Never let them see you cry. Never let them see you sweat, bleed, scream, and most importantly cry…'_ she reminded herself.

"Wha's wrong, baby? It wasn't as much fun for you as it was for me? Aw. Don't worry. She's cheap people! Give 'er a go! Make the little gothy happy!" Dash laughed, despite the fact that he had a nosebleed and that his left eye was beginning to swell shut.

_'But you know what…SCREW maturity.'_

Sam walked right up to him as he unsteadily got himself back up from the ground after falling like the messy drunk he was.

"Hopefully…this is gonna hurt a little." She snarled.

The last thing Dash felt before he blacked out was a tremendous amount of pain 'where the sun don't shine'.

But if he would have just kept conscious a little while longer he would have seen Sam, Annica, Jazz, Danny, Raven, Emma, and Roxie get in trouble for fighting.

If he would have just kept conscious a little while longer he would have found out that he was getting suspended for the fliers and for Samantha's 'emotional distress that led her into fighting'.

And if he would have just stayed conscious for a little while longer he would have seen Danny smile at Sam as he looked in disdain at the blood on his shirt and he would have heard him whisper to himself, "I knew she was different…"

But most importantly, he would have seen that his parents were the ones who came upon the scene first…and that he, Dashton Elliot Baxter, was beyond screwed.


	7. The Double Trouble Begins

Hey guys, this is the revised version of Chapter 7. I loved writing this chapter if not for the progressing of Danny and Sam's relationship, then for the introduction of Ashley.

Keyarrah

"Sam…where are you going?" Danny called into the darkened corridors of the old school.

He could hear the eerie pitter-patter of the rain against the old foggy windows of their school. He couldn't remember why he was following Sam. He couldn't even remember how he'd come upon her, or how he'd gotten out of his bed for that matter.

He'd followed her this far, and now she'd suddenly stopped at a staircase in front of an old classroom.

"Sam…?" Danny questioned. He approached her ever so slowly. Was she crying?

Sam froze and turned around slowly. Her eyes were closed, and the shadows of the night danced on her pale face.

"Uhm, Sam…glad to see me?" Danny joked nervously. What was wrong?

Danny felt a sinister, morbid chill run up his spine as he met her cold and icy amethyst eyes with his own glowing green ones.

"I'm not Samantha, Mr. Phantom. But I'm still so very, very, **very** glad to see you, Mr. Phantom…" the Sam imposter informed with a deep throaty feminine chuckle.

"Y-you're not Sam…" Danny stuttered, backing up. The imposter advanced toward him until he found himself trapped against a corridor wall.

He looked her in the eyes and saw that they were glazed over. This definitely wasn't Sam...

"Oh…you're so very brilliant aren't you? But yet…not brilliant enough. How could you not see how I inhabited Roxanne? How I inhabited Raven. Annica. Emily. Your very own sister, Daniel."

"Poor little Jazzy. And little Ashley. Meek and stupid little Ashley. And now...the love of your life, Daniel. Are you that dense that you couldn't even feel the chill as you neared closer to me? So love-struck that you didn't feel your ghost sense?"

Danny felt as if he were being smothered in thick smog as 'Sam' stepped closer. "If it helps," she hissed, wrapping a dainty hand around his throat.

The impostor forced Danny to look her in the eyes, and Danny felt a gut wrenching stab inside of him as Sam's beautiful warm colored eyes flashed back and forth between her own and the dull, icy eyes. It was almost as if she were fighting it off; trying to win against whatever inhabited her body.

Suddenly, for a moment, 'Sam' began to convulse as she kept her deathly grip upon Danny's neck.

"I love you too," she murmured before her eyes went cold again.

"I **loved** you...but you lied to me Danny." She snarled, gripping his throat tighter.

Danny was beginning to loose consciousness.

"You lied to me, Danny..."

"Danny...Danny..."

Sam was beginning to fade just as the rest of Danny's world.

"Danny...! Danny!"

* * *

Danny shot up from his mattress in a cold sweat, panting heavily. His ebony colored hair was matted flat to his forehead with sweat, and his bare chest felt as if it was being struck with millions of pins and needles.

"Hey man…you alright?" a voice asked from across the room.

Danny gave a dry gulp. So that's who was calling him.

Tucker had flicked on a light, and was putting on his glasses by the Danny had looked over. It was about one in the morning, and it seemed that Tucker was used to Danny's night scares at this point.

Tucker knew about Danny's secret, and was one of the very few who did, including Danny's sister Jazz and Danny's cousin Danni (short for Danielle).

"No…yeah…I don't know…" Danny murmured, holding his forehead as he tried to regain his breath.

"What was it this time? Skulker? Plasmius? Masters after your mom…again…for like the katrillionth time…again?" Tucker asked, bombarding Danny with questions.

"No. Ew, and that's not a word…If you've got to know, it was Sam." Danny sighed, clearing his throat as he swung his legs over the bed he was in. He got up, looked in the mirror, and gave his reflection a look of disdain. He looked like crap.

Tucker sat there for a moment in silence before raising an eyebrow. "Well?"

"No." Danny said simply, barely realizing how hoarse and tired his voice seemed. "I seriously do not feel like getting into it."

After another moment of silence; Danny examining himself in the mirror and Tucker sitting on the bed looking down at his hands, Tucker spoke up again.

"That gruesome, dude? Well, whatever it is, man, it's nothing. Remember the other night, you had that dream about me in a dress? Like that's ever going to happen. You're just worried about nothing. What, you think you've got some new prophetic dress telling abilities now? What, you channeling Martha Stewart?" Tucker asked with a laugh.

Danny laughed too. "Yeah…"

The two of them chuckled at the thought. "Yeah. You're probably right. Nothing but a bunch of weird dreams. Probably because I'm stressed out with all this stuff that's been going on lately."

"Exactly. Now, get back to sleep. And if you're going to have dreams about the Manson chick, I've never had one per say, but might I suggest a nice one about—"

Danny cut him off, along with the light. "Goodnight Tucker…"

"Well…seeing as it's 1:54 in the morning—"

"Good**night** Tucker…"

"But seriously dude, I'm just saying—"

"Good_**NIGHT**_,Tucker…"

"…Night Danny."

* * *

"Now. If this apple weighs about 3 Newtons and this pear weighs about 3.4 Newtons who can tell me…"

It as of lately it seemed as if there was never a time that Jazz was not zoning off in her classes. She'd figured out what Kwan and Dash were talking about, albeit just a bit too late, but she'd figured it out.

Now, if only she could figure out what was going on with Dash and his parents. She'd seen him get yanked up by his parents. She'd also seen Mr. and Mrs. Manson come in hysterical fits (at least Mrs. Manson) and threaten to take Sam out of this "rambunctious, imprudent, antagonistic little whore house".

Of course those were Mrs. Manson's words. Mr. Manson just stood in the background holding his daughter who kept insisting that she was fine. He then later thanked Danny for what he did, and got Mr. Lancer to cut him a lot of slack.

Mrs. Karplan calling her shook Jazz out of her thoughts.

"Jazmine, honey. Mr. Porter would like to see you in Placements."

Jazz blinked.

Placements? As in the Placements Office?

Had her parents gotten wind of the fight? Already? Was she being transferred? Transferred to a delinquent school?

Was she, Jazmine Madeline Fenton to be labeled a juvenile delinquent for the rest of her life?

Was her life over? She was only seventeen! Oh God. She was going to jail. She was going to jail and she'd have to fight for her life. There were big girls in prison…she knew that because Emma told her all about that stupid prison movie on Lifetime!

She'd have to learn how to fight. Oh God. Her poor delicate, feeble and meek little body!! And…and…

She suddenly realized that she'd somehow made it to Placements. Jazz blinked again. What she saw in front of her astounded and confused her.

It was not Jack and Maddie Fenton who stood before her…it was Jeremy and Pamela Manson and a girl with a bright red paperboy style hat on.

"Ms. Fenton. Meet Jeremy, Pamela, and Ashley Manson." Mr. Porter introduced. "Young Ashley will be starting school here today. I believe you are friends with her sister, yes?"

Jazz nodded. Wait.

Hold the phone…Ashley **Manson**? _**Sister**_?

SAM HAD A SISTER?!

* * *

"YOU HAVE A SISTER?!" Four voices chorused at her in confusion mixed with astonishment.

"Umm…yah." Sam looked up from her magazine in bewilderment.

She'd been sitting there minding her own business when Annica, Emma, Roxie, and Jazz bolted in and all threw the same question at her.

"Sam, we have known you for _for_-freaking-_ever_, and you have NEVER mentioned a SISTER!!" Annica alleged, giving her friend a pointed look.

"You never asked. Can we change the subject, PLEASE?" Sam begged, beginning to look annoyed as she turned the page.

"No! You're hiding something. She's **HIDING SOMETHING**…!!" Emma cried, narrowing her eyes.

"Great job, Colombo…" Roxie drawled, rolling her eyes.

"Look Manson. We know everything there is to know about each other. We've never had secrets and we sure as hell ain't starting now. So SPILL. What's the deal?"

Sam sighed. "I'm the third child. All girls."

"There are MORE?!" Annica screeched before Jazz smacked her upside the head and shushed her.

"Yes. My two older sisters Melissa and Laurielle are the apples of my parents' eyes. They both attended here because they wanted to. I, however, am the odd child out and was _shipped_ off to Amity. I was a 'handful' and they gave some crap about a learning experience. Now, I'm guessing Ashley's taking after me, and they sent her here." Sam shrugged.

"Surprised though…" she added.

"Why?" Emma asked, plopping down next to Sam on the couch that they'd found Sam sitting on.

"Because. Ashley was fairly well rooted into the 'Manson soil'." Sam explained.

After the fair looks of confusion she received, she went on. "She was going to be a proper lady with the poofy skirts, big hair, and all the other crap they still haven't gotten me to do."

A chorus of "ooh" and "ahh" was followed with all of them nodding their heads.

"Uhm…wow. You guys sure know how to make a chick feel welcomed…" came a voice from their far right. "I mean...the 'oohs' and 'ahhs'...a little farfetched, but I'll bite."

Sam whipped her head in amazement. Leaning against the doorway was Ashley…but not as she'd remembered her. Where a skinny figure, a childlike face, and golden bouncy curls once were, stood a young, almost full figured girl with a nicely shaped face and pale blond hair with…white streaks.

More importantly, where cute, clean cut pink frilly skirts and dresses once were, formfitting black jeans, black pleather anklet boots, a white belly shirt that didn't even come anywhere NEAR her belly, and a bright red paperboy hat were now. Of course a shiny silver belt accented all of this.

"Ashley?" Sam asked incredulously.

"The one and the same, Sammybabes!" Ashley replied, grinning at her sister through bright cherry red lipstick.

"Who-what-when-how-…what are you _**wearing**_?!" Sam asked, baffled.

"Clothes. I didn't think going in the nudie was gonna make such a good impression on my first day. The 'rents just dropped me off. Of course Mom was being all 'parental unit-beep-beep-beep. I-am-your-mother! I-am-your-mother!' but she got over it. Now anyway, I got the sack and got sent here. Dunno why-y-y-y-y though.

"Probably because I refused to go to some garden party. Or it might be because I dyed my school uniform bright neon sunset orange and refused to take it off. O-o-o-or it might be because I shot a spitball at the Prime Minister of some country I _**really **_don't remember the name of. Oh! You know what, it's probably this dinner we went to, I did some stuff…and Mom totally flipped.

"Dad thought it was funny though! Then when he told her that he thought it was funny, she totally flipped _**again**_. So yeah. Oh by the way, Mel and Laur say 'hey'. Mom's totally mad at them too since they're not into the Pepto-Bismol Pink crap anymore. Hey, so who are you?" Ashley asked.

The five girls stood there, in absolute amazement that the girl had just said all of that in one breath.

"Uhm…'ellooo?" Ashley asked, waving a hand in front of them.

"Oh. Uhm. This is Jazz, Emma, Annica, and Roxie. These are my friends. Friends…apparently…this…is my sister." Sam introduced.

"Hey,"

"'Sup?"

"Hi."

"Hello."

"Nice to meet you, Ashley."

Ashley beamed. Sam sighed.

Could Amity really handle **two** Mansons?

* * *

Apparently, it could.

It had been almost a month since Ashley's arrival and things weren't going all that bad. The six of them were at lunch with Raven, seated at their own little table. Sam was eating a tofu salad, Roxie and Ashley were scarfing down half of their weight in hamburger meat, Annica was eating mac and cheese, Raven was chowing down on her curly fries, Emma was daintily picking at her rice-a-roni dish, and Jazz was eating her chicken burrito piece by piece.

"Hey girls!" Tucker said, plopping himself down next to Jazz.

Jazz smirked as Danny did the same right across from her, which of course just happened to be right next to Sam.

"Sammykinns. Emmybear. Raviwavvy. Jazzypants. Annyboo. Roxiebabe…Girl-I-Don't-Know…" Danny addressed with a grin.

Sam, ignoring the nickname, laughed. "This is my little sister, Ashley."

"Nice to meet you, Ashleykinns." Danny smiled, sticking out his hand in a mock professional manner.

Ashley raised an amused eyebrow and shook it. So this was Danny. Her future brother-in-law that she'd heard so much about over the last three weeks. Ahh…

"What's up with the nicknames?" Ashley questioned.

Danny grinned. "I have no idea."

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Jazz asked suspiciously, with a smile on her face.

"I got a B- on my last math exam! Thanks to you of course, Sam." Danny said, turning to Sam, who was trying to ignore the fact that he was there. (Very badly at that…)

Sam blushed, and then cursed under her breath when she felt her cheeks begin to warm up. "It was nothing, Danny."

"No! Yes it was!" Danny exclaimed. He then turned back to Jazz.

"Jazz, you should have seen her. She's like a freaking genius or something! I'm telling you Sam, anything you need me to do for you, I'm there. YES! Mom and Dad are gonna FREAK…good kind of freak!"

With that, Danny ran off, dragging Tucker along with him. (Much to Roxie's not so well hidden dismay.)

Sam blanched. Hadn't he already done enough? Ever since the whole episode with Dash, they'd never brought it up again. As far as they all knew, no one had.

None of the jocks shunned Danny for his action, Dash and Danny acted like nothing ever happened (though if you knew one of them, or even both of them well enough, you could sense the icy cold tension and the feeling as if they were about to start all over again.) and no one in the school was giving Sam the 'poor-poor-pathetic-puppy…' look or even the 'what-a-skanky-little-slutlet-you-are…' look.

But again, this was as far as they all knew.

For all they knew, Paulina and her pukey-preppy (must we go through this again…?) princess squad were probably yucking it up about it at that very moment.

Sam was about to comment to her friends and sibling when Danny rushed back and said, "Almost forgot!" Sam turned bright red, and felt as if her quickly beating heart would be the cause of her turning to absolute mush when Danny laid a soft kiss on her cheek, but suspiciously close to her lips.

"You're the best, Sammy!" he grinned sheepishly before running off again.

Sam froze. Jazz froze. Emma froze. Roxie froze. Annica froze. Raven froze. Ashley just grinned.

"He l-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-k-e-s you!!" Ashley sung.

"Shut up he does not. That was a friendly kiss." Sam gulped.

"There is no such thing, Sam. He l-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-k-e-s you!!" Ashley sung again.

"There. Is. Too. Now. Shut. Up." Sam said through her teeth.

"I think she's right…" Roxie muttered. Emma and Annica nodded, while Jazz and Raven grinned behind their hands.

"He l-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-k-e-s you!!" Ashley sung louder.

"Ashley…" Sam growled in a warning tone.

"He **l-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-k-e-s **you!!" Ashley sung even louder, this time joined in by Roxie and Emma.

"Guys!!" Sam cried, horrified. It was a good thing the dining hall was always so loud. She was so thankful that no one heard, or saw what happened.

Sam rolled her eyes as Jazz and Raven made kissy faces at her.

But little did Sam know, someone had heard, and someone had seen…

But not just anyone. Paulina.

And she was not happy.


	8. The Meeting Of The Glorious Creator

Hey guys, this is the revised version of Chapter 8. In case you're wondering why I keep saying that in every chapter, it's so that in case you are reading faster than I am revising, you can tell whether this is the old version, or the new version. Don't worry, the revisions end in about seven more chapters, where revising isn't necessary.

Enjoy,

Keyarrah

* * *

"Spike! Spike! SPIKE THAT BALL, ROXANNE!" Mrs. Harplica, their gym teacher screamed.

"ALRIGHT, WOMAN! JEEZ! I HEARD YOU THE FIRST FORTY KATRILLION TIMES!" Roxie screamed back in agitation.

Roxie sent the ball soaring downwards towards the gymnasium floor with an almighty slam. Of course in the process she fell to the ground and ended up sprawled on her stomach, limbs lying on the floor wildly.

"Nice one, Rox…" Sam laughed. Sam suddenly tensed as she was beaned in the back of the head with the ball. Roxie snorted as she watched her friend fall flat on her face; ironically exactly the way she'd been just seconds before as her friend mocked her.

"I freaking **hate** volleyball…" Sam muttered, massaging her sore head.

'_Speaking of things I hate,'_ Sam thought menacingly as she noticed who was serving.

Paulina was up to serve the next time Sam looked up from la-la land. The next thing she knew she'd been smacked in the face by the volleyball…again. What made it worse was the color of the volleyball. Bright pink of course. Paulina bought all of her own sports equipment.

(Three guesses as to what color it all was…)

"Ow," Sam grunted, looking up in bewilderment. Of course, due to the throbbing of her forehead it sounded more like a question than anything.

After the crowd of girls had diminished, only one girl stood towering over Sam, (who was blinking madly) the culprit: Paulina

"Hey Manson. Heard about the jock fight? Of course you did. You know why? Of _**course**_ you do. Because it was _**you**_ related. You know…lately…a lot of things have been _**you**_ related. The fight…your little 'ho show…your sister coming…yeah. A lot. And of course, you know that **I** am **not** the jealous type. Because, this is me we're talking about! What have I to be jealous of. But let's make one thing clear, sweetie. You're pissing me off, mk?" Paulina asked.

Sam looked up in confusion. "Wha?" she asked, dazedly.

"Listen to me, Manson. And listen to me GOOD. **I** am QUEEN. **I** am Queen Cupcake. **I **am Queen Cheerleader. And **I** am Queen-mother-freaking-BEE. And at the moment, YOU are in MY WAY," she explained, glowering.

"Wait…did she call me a 'ho'…?" Sam wondered as her world started to refocus.

She then realized that the girl was still talking.

"…paradise. And that is not acceptable. Do you know **why** that is not acceptable? **OF COURSE YOU DO.** So since you are in my way…you'll have no problem…like…moving, okay? Okay."

Sam blinked at her. "What…the…hell are you talking about, Paulina?"

Paulina looked irritated for a moment, before leaning in and making an impatient tutting sound.

"Let me put it this way, honey. I'm going to give you a little bit of advice for being all up on my boyfriend," It was then that her sugary sweet tone turned to one containing malicious venom. "Don't be."

With that she flicked her hair prissily and trolloped away. Roxie dodged her hair clumsily and appeared next to Sam with an odd look on her face.

"Why do I sense a prep-bloodshed coming on?" she asked.

Sam simply blinked again. "Wha?"

Why was everyone talking to her? Ow. Oh man, her head hurt.

* * *

"You taped it?" Jazz asked Roxie, in confusion.

"Uhm…a-durh. What if Sam suddenly went psycho and punched Preppy Paul in the face? E-Bay. Big money." Roxie explained.

"Yes. Please. Just exploit me to no end. While ignoring the fact that I still have a very vague idea of what happened." Sam replied, joining the two by the big oak outside of the school.

"But of course." Roxie replied, causing somewhat of a snort from Jazz.

It was free period for everyone, and they had about an hour and a half to kill before they went to their respective, end of the day classes. It was about 1:45, and they were just waiting for the other five to join them.

It felt as if it had been ages since the surrounding drama first began. Ashley and Raven had joined their little group since then, and it was not uncommon for the two to be seen with them just about everyday.

Their little group of five had quickly expanded to a gaggle of seven. Sam was even beginning to see Ashley as a friend, as opposed to an annoying kid sister. At least when she wasn't taunting Sam about Danny…and besides, she was 'beginning'.

They weren't quite there yet. She still had the urge to throttle the blonde every once in awhile. She was though, rather impressed with how her sister had fit in so nicely with her friends.

The others saw Sam as their sister, so Sam's sister was their sister as well in their eyes. She gave an inner smile at the thought of Emma and Ashley playfully bickering over who was the 'Best Blonde' in the group; Roxie and Ashley planning to do even more bizarre things to their hair together; Jazz helping Ashley with her homework; Annica and Ashley making up dances in the main corridor (that were thankfully PG…); she and her sister having the rare 'sisterly moments' that they'd cherish when they were older, as they laughed at instances that only they knew the best.

Like the time Mrs. Manson threw a hissy fit because she _**swore**_ up and down that the cook stole her favorite sterling broach, and then was about ready to hit the floor in a dead faint when it was discovered when the groomer was cleaning up after her precious dog, Lionel. It turned out that he thought it was a shiny dog biscuit.

_'Speak of the devil,'_ Sam thought wryly as Ashley suddenly ran up to them plopped herself down in the grass out of nowhere.

The kid had energy. They could all give her that.

"My GOD! Mrs. Baxter is horrible! Why didn't you **tell me** how vicious she was?!" Ashley cried out as soon as she sat down.

…And a lot to say. There was never a dull (or quiet) moment with her.

"You had her today?" Jazz asked the girl curiously.

"Yeah. For my Algebra class. She's evil. I was half tempted to ask if you could square root her heart, or if it was impossible to square something that wasn't even there…" she grumbled.

"Uhgh. Ms. Baxter is a total wiatch…" Roxie muttered.

"A watch?"

"A witch?"

"No! I know! It's b-" Sam covered Ashley's mouth, and yelped in surprise when Ashley licked it.

Jazz shriveled her nose in disdain. "Oh. Look. Here comes Raven and Em."

The two joined the others, and Sam suddenly thought of something.

"Hey…you guys don't have assignments!" she realized, wiping her hand on the grass, and ignoring Ashley's self-satisfied grin.

"Assignments? Not have? Puh-leeze! Mr. DeKosta gave me at least four today, not counting the essay that's due next week from Ms. Prociatello…" Raven told her.

"No, no, no. The Secret Assignment Club: TSAC. The Secret Assignment Game: TSAG. You know…our game…" Emma explained.

"Ooh okay!" Ashley cried, nodding excitedly. "Yeah…I don't get it…"

"The Secret Assignment Game is a game where we all get assignments, you know, jobs to do from other players. Everyone has codenames and stuff, and you can deliver your message through email, notes, mail, blah, blah, blah. But no one outside of our game can ever know what we're up to. Especially if they're involved in one of the assignments." Roxie explained.

"Oh. I sorta get what you mean…" Raven nodded.

"Like, the whole Cupcake show. That was Annica's assignment. To embarrass Paulina." Jazz told them.

"And we did. By stealing her frou-frou crown." Sam shrugged.

"Cupcake show?" Ashley asked. She was silenced by proclamations of:

"We'll tell you later,"

"Looong story."

"Nothing…"

And of course, from Sam,

"Shut up and mind your business…"

Realizing that this was a touchy subject, Ashley decided to take a new approach.

"Ahh. I get it now. For reals this time. Okay. So we need codenames?" Ashley asked.

"Yep. I'm Kitten, Roxie's Spazz, Sam's Gothika, Jazz's Spectra, and Annica's Violet." Emma replied, leaning back on the tree.

"Oh okay. I'll be…India. Nice country. That's also what I wanna name my first daughter. Something…_**exotic**_." Raven smiled.

"So basically, you're setting up your kid for a life as a pole dancer?" Roxie asked, smirking. Raven thwaped her upside her head and stuck out her tongue defiantly.

"Fine. I'll be…Minx!" Ashley declared.

"Do I even want to know?" Sam asked.

"No. No, you don't." Ashley informed her older sibling, throwing her legs over Sam in a stretch.

Sam threw her legs off, and they stuck their tongues out at each other in a juvenile manner.

The girls all laughed, and Raven and Ashley agreed to give each other their assignments later on that day. It was then that Emma looked around in confusion.

"Hey…where's Annica?" she asked.

"I…don't know. We thought she was with you." Sam told her, looking around for herself.

"Oh…jeez…I just noticed that she wasn't there. We must have mentioned her at least a dozen times. The Secret Assignment Game was her idea." Jazz informed Ashley and Raven matter-of-a-factly.

"Mm. The last time I saw her she wasn't feeling too well. She left second period early. Something about a killer headache. But it's about sixth period now. I highly doubt she's still there. The nurse would have sent her out of the infirmary and back into the dorms…" Raven assumed.

"I didn't see her in the dorms. I went back to me and Sam's room to put my fourth and fifth period books away, and I passed her room. Didn't seem like anyone was in it." Ashley replied.

"No. You'd be able to tell if she was in there," Jazz told her. "She doesn't have a roommate and she always leaves the door cracked. She would have either heard you, or you her. Either way, she would have said something."

"This is weird…I'm worried." Roxie murmured. She stood up, and turned to walk away, most likely to search for their friend, when Tucker, Danny, and their friend Charlie McKinley began to walk by.

"Hey! Guys! Over here!" she called.

The boys turned to their direction and made their way to them.

"Hey." Charlie greeted.

Emma smiled, and felt her heart flutter. She had the faintest little crush on Charlie. But then again, at Amity, who wasn't crushing on _**someone**_ at _**some point**_? Besides, there was no way Charlie McKinley would ever go for her.

'_Great…'_ she thought. _'I'm just like Roxie and Sam…'_

"Hey guys. You seen Annica?" Raven questioned.

"Annica as in Tiannica Adams? Yes. Right over there. Annica as in Anamaria Washington? Not here today. Annica…as in…Britannica Reed? Nope. Sorry. Annica as in Lianica Foreman, in the library." Tucker informed, nodding his head back towards the school building.

"Jeez. How many Annicas ARE there?" Sam asked incredulously, avoiding Danny's eye contact. She didn't need Paulina and her prep squad descending from the sky like the flipping CIA, or worse, she could come after her with another volleyball…

"Hey. Wait. I just saw Annica. She was running down the hallway. Seemed like she was sorta upset…" Danny said, looking slightly worried.

"Crap…any idea why?" Jazz asked her younger brother.

"Not sure. She was holding one of Lancer's new fliers. About the visitation or whatever." He answered.

"Visitation? What visitation?" Ashley questioned.

"The 'Mother's Love' thing. They're holding it the day before the Valentines dance. They're all over the school." Tucker filled in for Danny. "Surprised you guys haven't seen them yet."

"Oh no…poor Annica." Sam murmured sadly.

"Why? What happened?" Charlie asked.

"Annica's mom died about ten years ago. Huge car accident. She's never really been the same since. Annica, I mean, obviously." Emma sighed.

"Right. Well. Thanks guys. We've gotta go find her." Roxie decided.

"Yeah. Bye!" Ashley waved in her usual enthusiastic (spastic) way.

"Hey! Wait! Roxie!" Tucker called.

Roxie felt her heart rate quicken.

'_Ach. No. Crap. No…' _she thought to herself, praying she didn't look as if she were in a panic.

She turned around slowly, but hoped that it wasn't too slow. That would be all she needed. To look as if she had a hobbling leg or if she were stupid or something like that. Yes. Every boy wanted to go out with the hobble legged, crazy haired, Mathematically challenged, moron. Of course. Yes, yes. Of course.

"Y-yeah?" she asked, cursing her voice for quaking.

"Do…you have a date for the Valentines Day dance? I was thinking we could go together…you know…as friends…or…uhm…as a date…whichever…you know…on…Valentines Day…" Tucker rambled.

Was he asking her out? On a date? Or as friends? Or as…whichever? What exactly was a 'whichever'? What if she decided to go as a date, and he was just implying date to be nice? What if all he wanted to be was friends? Or 'whichever'? WHAT THE HELL WAS A '_**WHICHEVER**_'?!

"Oh! Well…" Roxie trailed off. _'Play it cool…'_

"Valentines really isn't my _**thing**_…you know. Totally Hallmark. Too bought up. Totally cliché, you know? But…uhm… yeah…uhm…but…that sounds cool. You know…as friends…or a date. Whichever…sounds cool…" she nodded, smiling.

One thing that didn't sound cool: Whatever the heck she just said in between the forty-thousand 'uhm's…

"Yeah...so…we'll talk?" Tucker asked.

His hands were in his pockets, and he looked extremely nervous. Charlie and Danny were behind him trying to hold in their laughter.

It was obvious that Tucker would be victim to a serious ragging after the girls left. He was never going to hear the end of this one.

Behind Roxie, tittering could be heard.

Jazz stepped on Ashley's foot to keep her from laughing out loud, but it only made hers, and the others' 'secret' giggles much worse. Sam was turning red from holding it in, and Emma was doing a little dance that resembled the 'pee pee dance' that one did when they had to use a bathroom but were unable to.

"We're sorta talking right now," Roxie laughed. "But yeah. We'll talk."

It wasn't until the girls ran back inside the school that they all erupted with giggles. (Including Roxie, who slapped herself right after…)

"'So…like…you're going on a date…or whichever'." Sam cracked up. This made them laugh harder.

"Yeah. Now, come on. We've gotta tell Annica. Maybe that'll cheer her up." Raven suggested.

"Annica? Did you say Annica?" a voice asked.

The girls whirled around to see a tall brunette girl with her hair tied back into a loose ponytail. She was in a dark, forest green t-shirt, a pair of black jeans, and black boots that went up to her knee, which the jeans were tucked into. She looked as if she had Annica's eyes, and her hair color.

"Uhm…yeah. Hi? Do we know you?" Jazz asked

"Sort of. I know you girls though. You must be…Oh…Let's see…amethyst eyes…dark clothes…so you must be...Sam…and you're blonde with blue eyes, so that would make you…Emma, uh, Oh! You have to be Roxie, I can tell from the jet-black hair and the red streaks…and you must be Jazz.

"I love the natural red hair, Jazz. And you two must be Raven and…Ashley. I know that because of your lovely chocolate brown eyes, Raven. And you _so_ look like a mini Christina Aguilera with that hair." The girl said, pointing to each of them respectively.

"What's _**that**_ supposed to mean…and it's not nice to point…" Ashley muttered, eyeing her suspiciously.

Sam stomped on her foot. Ashley glared.

Why was it always in a foot stomping manner that they chose to shut her up?

"Uhm…okay…so you _DO_ know us. But, again, we know you…how?" Emma asked.

"I'm Jacqueline Reed. Call me Jackie, Annica's older sister," she introduced. "Or…" she grinned, her eyes twinkling mischievously, "You can call me the passer-on of 'The Secret Assignment Game'."

Ashley stepped up and put an arm around the older girl, and ignored Sam rolling her eyes.

"Jackie-babes, the name's Ashley. And I think we're gonna get along juuust fine."

* * *

I really didn't change a lot in this chapter except for a few grammatical and spelling errors.


	9. The Secrets Of Identity Crisis

Okay guys,

Here's the revised version of Chapter 9. Enjoy!

Keyarrah

* * *

Ashley sat in class with a bored expression on her face. Why did she have to learn about fossil fuels? As far as she knew, dinosaurs had no use for cars back then. No one had the heart to tell her she was wrong.

Either that, or they were far too amused by her theory.

She twirled a bleached blonde strand of hair in front of her face, and blew a white streak out of her eyes. She didn't regret dyeing and streaking her hair like a lot of girls did after they'd got it done. The boring natural strawberry blonde that she was born with; that she'd inherited from her father seemed to plague her.

She was the only Manson girl with blonde hair. Laurielle and Melissa were both born with ebony colored locks, as was Sam.

It was one of the many reasons that she felt as though she didn't belong in her family. She figured that if she couldn't fit in, she'd stand out. That was why she was sort of relieved to be with Sam at Casper.

Yes, the sisters were considerably different, that much was obvious, but it felt nice to be with someone closer to her own age, as opposed to being cramped up with her parents everyday.

Ashley was stirred out of her thoughts by the door bursting open. At the door stood Paulina, brushing off her nails as if afraid to break or get dust on them by touching the door.

"Excuse you, Mrs. Ralphing. I have an upperclassman note from, like…duh, an upperclassman. To Ashley Manson." Paulina replied snippily, popping her bright pink bubble gum and chewing it obnoxiously.

"I believe you mean 'excuse _**me**_', Miss. Sanchez." Ashley's science teacher corrected as she glared at the girl's gum.

"I know what I said." Paulina snapped, rolling her eyes at the teacher. "Now where is she?"

Mrs. Ralphing pointed over to Ashley who sat at her seat like a deer in the headlights, her bright blue eyes blinking in confusion just as her older sister's had when she had had her confrontation with Paulina.

Paulina daintily took out her gum and stuck it onto the doorframe, ignoring the astonished look of rage that was on Mrs. Ralphing's face. She then walked sassily over to Ashley's desk in the fourth row, fifth seat over.

She sat next to Raymond Breshwick, a freshman who was obsessed with Paulina and everything to do with her, and Rachel Chandler, a girl who thought that Paulina and her whole prep scene were seriously overrated.

Paulina wore a white tube top with bright, hot pink stripes. In the front, in silver glitter sequins that Ashley considered to be incredibly tacky, was 'Latina Chiq'. Her skirt was white, (and also practically see through in the sunlight) and her shoes, which were open toed and made her stand so much taller than usual, were the same pink as her shirt, with a white flower on each of them.

And of course, where would Paulina be without her matching pink and white striped Prada bag, her matching hot pink Gucci sunglasses adorned on the top of her head, and her white and pink dangling Chanel earrings?

"Here **Manson**." Paulina snapped, slamming the letter onto her desk. It was then that Ashley noticed her pearl white colored nails with bright pink hearts on them.

Obsessed. That's what she was. Obsessed with matching. Yes. What a freak she was…

Of course, it did not go over Ashley's head. The fact that Paulina said her last name with venom, that is. No. She heard it. Crystal clear. It also did not go unnoticed that Raymond was drooling, and that Rachel was sending Paulina death glares from the fiery depths of Hell. Oh, and of course Ashley didn't forget what Paulina did to her sister.

No one threatened a Manson girl. Especially while there was another Manson girl nearby.

"Paulina, babe?" Ashley asked, in her best prep voice.

Paulina gave a sigh as if even acknowledging Ashley was beneath her. "What?" she asked.

"Since you interrupted my learning experience to deliver this to me, please explain the following to me: 1.) If you are indeed 'Queen Bee' why are you delivering a _**Manson's**_ mail? 2.) Why the _**hell**_ are you dressed like a bleached candy cane?"

"3.) Why are you working for the school's postal services when it's obvious that you are going to be filling the gas of my sister's shiny new car for a living? Oh, and finally, 4.) Can you remember 'Regular, Premium, or fill it up Super'? Because you're going to be saying it a lot." Ashley finished her blathering, a devilish smirk crossing her features. Her eyes danced with excitement.

Paulina gaped, but Ashley wasn't sure what she was gaping in: embarrassment or anger. It was after a moment that Paulina spoke, and that Ashley realized that they had the attention of the entire class, including a satisfied looking Mrs. Ralphing.

"Did you…just call me…a gas jockey? You…You…You. Your sister. Your sister AND her little geek friends are going down, Little Manson. WATCH." With that said, Paulina stormed out and slammed the door behind her. No one but Ashley noticed that as she swung her head dramatically to leave, the gum had gotten stuck to her hair.

"'Little Manson'? A nickname. How cute." she muttered.

She might have made it look like she had it under control, but the damage was done. She, Paulina Sanchez, a sophomore, had gotten _dissed_ by a freshman. A freshman that was a Manson at that.

"Ahem. Well. Anyway. Can anyone name for me another type of fossil fuel?" Mrs. Ralphing asked, trying to pretend that she had control of the class. She still had the slightest smirk on her face though.

Even SHE knew that the whole school would know about it by the end of the day. If they would know in a public school, they would know four times as fast in a boarding school. They had nowhere to go, and they slept here every night.

The gossip mills would be at full blast for at least another three weeks or so. By tomorrow, the seniors will be saying that Paulina got her face scratched open. This school never ceased to amaze her.

Ashley sat back and carefully opened her letter. It was from Raven.

_'My assignment…'_ she realized.

She smiled at the scrawled, scribbly, obviously quickly written script in staining black ink that was sort of bleeding through the paper. Not Raven's neatest, but she knew that the girl didn't really give a flying whosit.

_**Hey Ashy-girl! **_

_**It's Rae!**_

_**(Not calling you 'ashy' per say. You know?**_

_**I fully believe that you use lotion!!)**_

_**Anyway. This**__**whole assignment thing **_

_**totally left me baffled. (Ugh. Omg. **_

_**Did I sound like Jazz? 'Baffled'? You can **_

_**SO tell I'm stressing on this right?) Yah,**_

_**anyway I did a whole lot of thinking. And**_

_**I have decided that since Sammy is your older**_

_**sister that your assignment should be sorta…**_

_**uhm, you know, related to her! So your assignment**_

_**is to ignite some flames, babe. But more specifically,**_

_**ignite them at the Valentine's Day dance. Oh, come on,**_

_**you know you wanna. And besides, this is your kinda thing.**_

_**Now, obviously, flames between Sam and Danny, because**_

_**Like duh, he is so TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH HER! AHH! But **_

_**THEY are just to STUPID and BLIND to realize it. Work your**_

_**Magic, Ashley! **_

_**Luvz yah, **_

_**Have fuuun!**_

_**Rae!**_

Ashley snickered silently to herself. Oh, this would make her February fun. And she knew just what to do. She made sure her video camera was well concealed in her messenger bag before she raised her hand.

"Mrs. Ralphing! May I go to the bathroom? I don't feel well…" she replied when her teacher called on her after seeing her raised hand.

"Yes! Of course, Miss. Manson. In fact, if you don't feel well, maybe it's best for you to go to the infirmary." The woman told her.

Ashley nodded. Bingo. With a note to the infirmary, she could go anywhere.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jacqueline leaned against a corridor wall, looking quite worried. Where could her baby sister be?

"So, anyone find Annica?" Jacqueline asked.

The girls had gotten somewhat acquainted, and Jacqueline asked Lancer personally if they could help to escort her around the school. At first, Lancer argued that she couldn't possibly need all seven of them, but Jacqueline was persistent.

Finally, the two came to an agreement. Since Ashley was the youngest, and so new to the school that she didn't know all of the nooks and crannies of it as the others did, she would have to go to class. She did, but she of course made a scene about it, and stomped up the stairs, silently wishing that she'd break one of them…or two…or that the whole school would collapse, leaving her to develop super hypno-brain powers to save a giant cinderblock from falling on her sister, deeming her as hero of the world…or at least one little stair could've cracked. She really felt that she couldn't go wrong either way.

"Nope. I checked all over the dorms, and I found nothing." Raven sighed. "Any luck, Jazz?"

"Cafeteria's full of firsties. Nothing but freshman all over." Jazz informed. "Sam?"

"I searched all over the first and second floor, and when I found Mr. Grahm, her Algebra coach that she sometimes sees before school, he said he hadn't even seen her today, much less known that she was participating in school today." Sam explained. "Em?"

Emma shook her head morosely.

"Nope. Third floor is all clear. As are the student council rooms, the gym lockers, the first floor Directions Office and the third floor Re-Directions Office." She announced, rolling her eyes as if the idea of having such an office was ridiculous.

"It's like she's disappeared…" Jazz sighed.

The girls talked quietly with Jacqueline while they waited for Roxie to come back with her report on their missing friend. Jazz was the first to see Roxie walking down the hallway, accompanied by Danny, whom she must have met up with while she was outside.

"Roxie, you find anything?" Emma called out to her.

"Mm. Not much. I did find one thing though…" Roxie called back.

"Really? What's that?" Sam asked her, her voice echoing some.

"Your boyfriend!" Roxie beamed.

Sam blanched while Danny turned a bright shade of scarlet. Sam silently prayed that no one else heard what she'd said. If Paulina suddenly appeared out of nowhere with neon pink nun-chucks, she'd be a little more than pissed.

"Cool it Forrester…" Jazz warned. Roxie gave a 'you're-not-the-boss-of-me' look as she stuck her tongue out in defiance.

"So that means no one found Britannica…" Emma proclaimed in frustration.

"Hello ladies…and gentleman." A voice sharply cut through their atmosphere as it regarded Danny separately.

They all whipped around to see Ms. Sophia Baxter, standing behind them in a crisp black suit, her sleek yet flowing blonde hair framed her face and made her seem innocent until you looked into her blue-green eyes which were swirling dangerously and suspiciously at them.

"Hello Ms. Baxter." Jazz greeted for them, trying to keep her cool, nonchalant tone. No one knew what to say, and Jacqueline kept staring at her as if trying to place her face.

"So as I hear it, you ladies are searching for Miss. Reed. Is that correct or is it just another part of the constant dribble that seeps through these hallways and corridors?" she asked, leering at them.

She looked at them one by one, as if trying to see through them. Her piercing eyes seemed like glass. There wasn't a hint of emotion anywhere, and when her eyes met Sam's there seemed to be the slightest tinge of something in the older woman's eyes, but as quickly as Sam had seen it, it had disappeared. But whatever it was it sent a surge of emotions through her that Sam couldn't quite comprehend.

"Uhm…yeah. We are looking for Annica. Her sister…uhm…yeah. Her sister is here." Emma explained.

She didn't know what it was about Sophia that freaked her out after learning the secret. It always felt like she was catching chills. She looked over at Danny who had the same expression on his face, though she could hardly see it because his head was down. He looked worried about something. Could it have been the fact that he was so close to Sam?

"Well. I just saw her. I took her to the infirmary. She seemed ill when I found her in the hallway. She kept complaining of a headache. I hope that I was of assistance to you ladies. Now, if you'll excuse me I have a very important meeting." Sophia walked off, her heels clacking against the old floors, but not before giving a sideways glance at Jacqueline as if sizing her up.

"So that's Mommy Dearest, is it?" Jacqueline asked, looking at her retreating back.

"Yep. Such a beautiful family portrait it shall be." Roxie scoffed.

"Yeah…you know…if she doesn't kill you all first!" Emma chirped. "I think I saw that one time on a Lifetime movie. It was so freaky. It was all 'EEK-EEK-EEK!!' total psycho theme. And then-" Sam put a hand over her mouth, shook her head, and shushed her as if talking to a child. Emma glared.

"Why didn't you say anything to her?" Raven asked Jacqueline.

Jackie shrugged. "What could I say that she doesn't probably already know? In the end, it's up to my father, not me."

"Hey, uh, I'm gonna take Danny back to his room, he feels sick!" Jazz suddenly announced.

"If he feels sick, maybe it's best that he come with us. After all, we are going to the infirmary." Raven replied, peering curiously at Danny, who still had his head down, and was now holding his stomach and making pathetic groaning sounds.

'_Totally fake…laying it on a bit THICK aren't we, brother dear?'_ Jazz thought with agitation.

"Eh-he-he-heh…uhm…he's kidding…but he really doesn't feel well!" Jazz explained, discreetly kicking Danny to tell him to lay off on the whole charade business.

Eventually, Jazz and Danny were pushed into the infirmary, being told by the others that it would save time, and that after they found Annica, Danny could go puke in the quad fountains for all they cared. (Okay…well, Roxie said that, but still…)

When they got there, Emma and Raven pushed back every curtain, getting of course, a series of "HEY!"s and "GET OUT! CLOSE THE CURTAIN!"s.

"Shut up, Foreman!" Emma snapped at a girl who was complaining at her.

"Guys?" a familiar voice questioned from a few curtains over. It was Annica.

They rushed over to her sectioned off area. They didn't worry about closing the intercepting curtain between the beds since there was no one in the bed next to Annica. There she sat, Indian-style and pale looking.

She had a bandage on the inside of her arm, and an unused, melting, drippy ice pack sitting next to her that had soaked through the cheap looking brown paper towel and had made a sopping wet spot on the bed, near her feet. Her hair was a little frizzier than usual, and her eyes seemed dull. Besides these things, Annica seemed in fairly good condition.

"Sweet Jesus, Britannica. What'd you do? You look like a sodden sponge who got all the water squeezed out of it." Jacqueline replied, shaking her head.

The looks of confusion that she received from the analogy were basically ignored.

"Sodden sponge?" Raven mouthed to Emma who just shrugged.

"Jackie! What are you doing here?" Annica asked excitedly.

"Not really important. The point is that your friends and I were really worried about you. What happened? We looked all over for you and-…wait. Weren't there two more of you guys?" Jacqueline asked, looking around.

"Oh. Yeah. There were. Danny and Jazz. I wonder how he is. I'll be right back. I'm gonna look for him. THEM! Them. I'm gonna go look for them." Sam looked a little flushed and paranoid as she left.

"Mmhm. I bet you will, Mrs. Fenton!!" Roxie called after her.

The others burst into giggles, except for Jacqueline who looked a little confused.

"So what happened?" Jacqueline asked Annica for the second time.

"Honestly, I don't remember. All I remember is feeling really dizzy…" Annica continued talking, but Sam didn't hear much. She sat in a chair a few curtains over, unsure of whether she wanted to find Jazz and Danny just yet. Something didn't feel right. Suddenly, she heard a girl scream.

It was Ashley. She leapt up and ran to where she heard the scream, as did a few others.

"GHOST!!" Ashley screamed. "HELP!!"

Sam stopped in her tracks to see a large ghost resembling a man holding her sister tightly by the arm. She felt her breath leave her as he forcefully yanked her up off of the spot that she sat on the floor. Sam figured that she'd fallen in shock when she'd seen the ghost.

She barely noticed her friends, including Annica who seemed to have completely forgotten about her headache.

"Oh my God…is that a ghost?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Dude. Get a picture! Where's your phone?"

"Please. This is probably some stupid stunt to get publicity."

"Either that or it's a prank…"

The person who said that looked suspiciously at Roxie who rolled her eyes. "SO not my style. HELLO! SOMEONE HELP HER!"

Sam couldn't concentrate. Could everyone just SHUT UP?! "ASHLEY!" she screamed.

The ghost seemed to get annoyed with all of the yelling and he formed a ball of red glowing stuff that Sam hadn't ever seen before except when she'd seen Inviso-Bill use them on television, in the hand that was not gripping her sister like a discombobulated rag doll. But his were green. And Inviso-Bill was good. He helped people! Who was this? Why did he have her sister? What was going on?

"ASHLEY!" she screamed again.

"SAM! HELP!!"

Teachers and nurses finally made their way to where they were, and instantly added to the pandemonium. This only seemed to agitate the mystery ghost even more.

"Danny…" Jazz hissed.

"I. Can't. Too. Many. People." Danny growled through gritted teeth, his blue eyes intently looking at the ghost.

It was then that the ghost finally spoke. "Won't someone help this _**poor**_, _**defenseless**_ little **snoop**?"

Ashley, true to her nature, even though she was scared out of her mind she still spoke up for herself. "Who are you calling a snoop you red-eyed freak?!" she spat.

The ghost looked as if he'd threaten to drop her flat on her head, and Ashley, not being a fool, knew when to shut up.

"Fine! If you won't come out on your own…I'll MAKE YOU!" the ghost roared.

Everyone leapt back in horror as he threw the red glowing orb at the ground, blasting a dent in the floor that sent residue and debris everywhere. Luckily they were on the first floor and they didn't have to worry about the floor caving in on unsuspecting students.

There was the worry though, that the blast had shaken the old foundations so much that the building would come down. There was coughing through the smoke and dust that was flying everywhere and mostly everyone fled. Sam shut her eyes, refusing to leave her sister's side even if she couldn't do anything.

Suddenly someone cried, "Look!"

Like an angel from the heavens, Inviso-Bill stood there, his glowing green eyes glaring at the older ghost. "Put her down, Vlad." He demanded.

"Ahh. Look at this. Danny! Danny Phantom. Come to save the little blonde brat?" the ghost called Vlad asked, his eyes laughing dangerously.

Ashley looked beyond miffed at being called a brat, but said nothing. She looked as though she wouldn't have liked anything more than to bite Vlad though.

"She has nothing to do with whatever you want. Obviously your problem is with me. Leave these students out of it. Drop the girl." Sam gazed up in a mix of awe and fear. Inviso-…she meant _Danny Phantom_ was going to save her sister. He was going to save the school. There was no doubt in her mind that he was a hero now. She'd also never seen him so angry before.

Did he know his foreign villain?…and did she really just think the words '_foreign villain_'?

"Drop her? If you wish…" Within the blink of an eye Ashley was soaring from the top of the cathedral styled ceiling to the cold, hard, tiled floors with an earsplitting scream. Danny soared after her, but somehow, Sam was quicker.

"Ashley!…_**Umpfh**_!" Sam caught her younger sibling before they went tumbling down to the ground. Sam heard a sickening crack, but through the numbness of what was occurring around her she wasn't sure whether it was Ashley or herself.

She looked down at her sister, who lay in a heap over her, and she realized that the girl was out cold.

_'Probably from the shock…'_ Sam thought, trying to lift her sister off of her but failing miserably.

Where that mighty strength had come from to attempt and succeed at saving her sister from doing a royal face-splat on the ground, she had no idea. All she knew was that it was gone, and then some. She smiled a watery smile to her friends who had dirty faces from the mini-explosion as they lifted up Ashley.

She knew that the lack of strength was all on her, since she knew that Ashley, her loveable yet bony sister weighed practically nothing, and that it was fairly easy to throw her around.

As Annica and Jazz offered hands to help her up she declined. She wanted, no, needed to stick around and see what was to become of the phantom that was protecting them. It just seemed right.

She told Jazz to go make sure that Danny was safe and Jazz seemed to hesitate for a minute before nodding her head and instructing the others to follow her and take Ashley to safety in the quadrangle that was thankfully somewhat far from the scene of action, and Jazz knew for a fact that the nurses who'd taken the ill students out of the infirmary would take them there.

"I suggest that you listen to me, young Daniel. I would highly, _highly_ recommend that you take my offer into consideration." Vlad said coldly.

"And if I don't?" asked the daring voice of Danny Phantom.

"Then…Danny, I will crush, break, tear, and mangle your world, and everything in it." He answered. "Especially," he replied, his cold, red glowing eyes flashing to Sam, who was on the ground, looking up at them in bewilderment. "the things you care about the most."

Danny followed his gaze, and saw Sam, who's amethyst eyes were filled with worry, concern, and anxiety.

"Leave her out of this…" he growled, keeping his voice low so that Sam wouldn't overhear.

"Then do what I ask, Danny. Do what I ask." Like magic, Vlad disappeared, and Sam found herself turning her head in paranoia to make sure that he hadn't appeared behind her or anything.

"Oh, and one more thing, Daniel." A voice said, seeming to come from absolutely nowhere. Vlad reappeared in the very spot that he had been in merely seconds ago.

"Don't test me."

Sam gasped as Vlad hit Danny with one of the same red, glowing orbs that had made the crater in the ground before her. Danny Phantom staggered in the air, something that Sam hadn't even known was possible, and began to soar towards the ground just as her sister had.

She knew that if she couldn't even get up that there was no way that she'd make a groundbreaking second rescue for the day.

"Until next time, Miss. Manson. I do hope that your sister feels better." Vlad patronized as he flew out of the roof, breaking it open and sending even more debris all over the place. The old building seemed as if it were crying from the sudden destruction.

It startled Sam that the ghost knew her name and knew that Ashley was her sister, but she had no time for that. She attempted to move and then realized that the cracking sound she'd heard had indeed come from her.

Her ankle suddenly felt as if it were on fire and like it was about to revolt and just fall off. She gritted her teeth through the pain and tried her best to do a weak attempt at an army crawl to where Phantom had fallen.

She internally groaned when she realized that he'd fallen into the gaping hole in the floor. She crept as close as she could to peer over at him to make sure that he was still breathing…if he could breathe at all. Wasn't he like…dead?

Sam didn't have much time to contemplate as she felt the floor give way under her. She must have gone too far and ended up on a weak spot. She grunted and groaned as she fell down, and a single tear slipped down her cheek as she tried her best to brace herself for even more pain than she was currently experiencing.

But the impact to the bottom never came. In fact, she landed on something rather soft. Too afraid to open her eyes (after realizing that she'd closed them as soon as she'd first started falling) she gulped.

'_Crap! Danny Phantom!! What is it with me and Dannys?! Ugh. God. I'm such a klutz...!'_ she thought in a panic.

She lifted herself up off of him, and prepared herself for what she'd do. She'd shake him. She'd make sure that he was okay. She'd ask him to fly her to a hospital or to where her sister was, and then she'd apologize. She would apologize profusely, and thank him for helping her and her sister, and her school and…

When Sam opened her eyes she got the shock of her life. Instead of white ashen hair, green glowing eyes, and a black and silver hazmat suit, she found herself on top of ebony black swept hair, beautiful blue eyes, and jeans and a white, black and blue striped polo.

She wasn't on Danny Phantom.

She was on Danny **Fenton**.

"Oh…my…God…you're a-a-a—"

"DIRTY MOTHERFLIPPING CHEATER!"

Sam and Danny both looked up in surprise to see Paulina looking extremely livid.

"I COME TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE OKAY, AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU'RE _HUMPING _THAT FREAK! IN A DAMN HOLE! A HOLE!! I HEAR THAT YOU WERE ALMOST ATTACKED BY A GHOST…_and luckily Inviso-Bill came to save you_…AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHILE I AM WORRIED OUT OF MY MIND?! YOU'RE-YOU'RE-YOU'RE WITH HER! I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS!

"STAR WARNED ME ABOUT THIS TOO! OH, DID SHE WARN ME! AS DID ANA! BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I SAID 'NOOO. MY DANNY, MY BOYFRIEND IS FAITHFUL.' BUT I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN AFTER YOU _**FOUGHT**_ FOR HER. AGAINST DASH! DASH! YOUR OWN TEAMMATE! YOU FOUGHT AGAINST HIM TO SAVE AND PROTECT **THAT**! WELL BELIEVE YOU ME DANIEL FENTON! WE ARE THROUGH! OVER! DONE! FINISHED! THROUGH!!"

Paulina stormed out and slammed the infirmary door so hard that the glass on the top panel broke.

_Whoever would be doing repairs would be so happy about that…_

"What…just happened here?" Danny asked sheepishly.

"I believe…that you just got dumped. I also believe that you've got explaining to do." Sam answered him quietly. "Unless of course you don't want to tell me, but I mean, you can trust me. And, yeah. Does Jazz know? Because if she doesn't I won't say a word, I swear and-"

Danny cut her off just as she'd cut off Emma earlier, and put a hand over her mouth with a ghost (no pun intended) of a smile.

"Okay, in order: Yes, I believe so too, for both of those, oddly. Yes. I know I can. Yes, and shh…"

Sam felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Okay…well…it all started a few years ago, when I was fourteen…"

As Danny explained the story of how he'd gotten his powers neither of the teenagers noticed when it started to snow through the hole that Vlad had made through the ceiling.

Neither also heard the conversation outside of the infirmary between Sophia Baxter and Paulina Sanchez.

"Paulina, dear? What's wrong? Come here…let me help…"

The last thing Paulina saw was pitch black before she woke up with a piercing headache.

* * *

"Hey, where's Paulina?" one girl asked.

"Huh? Oh, Ms. Baxter took her to the infirmary." Another girl answered. A dark haired girl beside her nodded in agreement.

"Well, I don't care WHERE she is. She's LATE. She is l-a-t-e and we have business to attend to and—" Star was interrupted.

"Star-babe, chill. I'm here." Paulina answered, leaning against the doorframe of their dorm.

"Where were you? You're late." Star huffed.

"And so I heard. But actually, thinking about it, I'm in charge here, so really you guys are just early. Thanks for the extra effort, but don't think it'll do anything for you. You're still nothing compared to me, and you are still nothing without me. Remember that. Now. Let's begin." Paulina answered snidely, fixing her sunglasses.

Star gave her a morbid death glare before clenching her jaw and angrily taking her seat.

"Hey Paulina? What's with your eyes?" Ana asked.

"What about them, Ana-babe?" Paulina questioned.

"I don't know. They seem...different-like." she replied.

Paulina took her compact and stared into it. The reflection showed her turquoise eyes staring back at her, until they flashed an eerie shade of green.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ana." Paulina finally answered. "I've never felt better."


	10. The Truth Lies In His Glowing Green Eyes

* * *

Hey everyone! This is the revised version of Chapter 10. Chapter 10 always had and always will have a special place in my heart, haha. TSAC was just on 90 something reviews, and this was my first two-digit chapter ever, and I got to write it with Lightning Streak! As you will see from the old Author's Note, I was pretty excited about it.

Well, sentimental time is done. ) Enjoy,

Keyarrah

(Old ANs:)

**DivaGurl277:** Hey Guys! Whoa! We're on Chapter 10! Can you believe it? Eight is the most chapters I've ever done. Thank you to everyone who's been with me through my fanfic journey. We're almost to 200 reviews! Oh-my-gosh. I'm spazzing, people! Haha. It's just so amazing to look at how far this fanfic has gone. When I first started out on with "Baby, We're Having A Baby" which was my first Danny Phantom fic, there were about 567, which led into 1,200 something Danny Phantom fics, and now look! There are over 6,000. Wow. Yeah. Enough gushing, and now on with the fic!

Now! With all of that said, we now present you with the tenth chapter! Yep. That's right. :) I said 'we', meaning Lightning Streak (my co-author) and I. She's been terribly busy but she's going to drop by and make a quick little appearance for our first two-digit chapter. (squeals for both the chapter and Lightning Steak) Okie. No more coffee for this authoress. ) Anything you'd like to add friend?

**Lightning Streak: **Hello, everyone! I apologize for being away from TSAC for so long; I don't think I realized just how much fun I was missing:) Anyways, I hope you like the chapter, for I know that DivaGurl put her heart and soul into this also. So, sit back, grab a bag of popcorn, and enjoy the randomness!

* * *

Sam woke up with a killer headache and a stabbing pain in her ankle. What happened? Furthermore, where the heck was she?

A quick look around told her that she was in her dorm room. The 'Evanescence', 'The Cure', 'Avril Lavigne', 'Good Charlotte', 'AFI', '30 Seconds To Mars', 'Fall Out Boy' and 'Panic! At The Disco' posters scattered on the violet walls told her that, as did the stray combat boot lying lopsided by the door.

But how did she get there? Everything seemed so blurry for some strange reason. They'd been looking for Annica…

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone else in her dorm room. She jumped (which hurt like more than a thousand knives) and blinked.

"Augh…why do I feel like Big Bessie from my Science class just fell on meeee?" she heard a voice groan.

"Ashley?" she asked.

Many things were supposed to be in her dorm room. The posters, the combat boot, her new laptop and Sidekick III that her dad sent for Christmas, yes. Those things were supposed to be in her dorm. Ashley? Yeah, not so much.

"Ashley…Ashley…! Oh my God! Ashley!" Sam suddenly cried. Everything was coming back to her in a flash of memory.

"Uhm, yeah, older sibby, now that we've established my name…Ow! Ow! OH-MY-FREAKING-OW! Ughghg..." Ashley trailed off angrily. "Why do I feel like I was just dropped on my head?"

"Because you were. Several times as a child." Sam piped up, not missing a beat.

"Haha. Recently, please." Ashley drawled.

"That is because you were, Ashleybear! From the high, high, high, high ceiling. Luckily your ever loving, ever caring sister jumped to your rescue and fractured her ankle in a blind attempt to save you." Emma announced, seemingly coming out of absolutely nowhere as she opened the door and let herself and the rest of their friends in.

"You see what you do? Do you see what you do?" Sam asked, pointing an accusing finger in the vicinity of where her sister was. Her head hurt and she dared not even try and turn Ashley's way.

"Yay, Hurray, Huzzah, they're up. Now can we stop hovering around them? I've got to pee like a racehorse…" an agitated Roxie muttered as she pushed Jazz out of the way of the bathroom.

The dorms in Amity were pretty classy. They should have been, seeing as the parents of the Amity students were shifting a heavy load out of their pockets.

(Raven once recalled her mother sighing and muttering to herself that she could have bought a yacht with half of the year's pay, and a small island for a year and a half. It wasn't as if Raven's mother, Leona even wanted those things though.)

The dorms had fully working bathrooms with bath/showers, beautiful porcelain sinks and toilets, full-length mirrors on the back of every door, and smaller ones over the sinks. The floors were a neatly tiled ivory color to match the taupe walls with tan accents.

The shower curtain in every bathroom was also tan with the gold colored Amity emblem on the bottoms of the shower curtain. Every detail down to the toilet paper holders was thought out and made to be prestigious and well coordinated. At least in boarding school standards anyway.

"Yes. Please. Relieve your bladder while your friends wake up out of comas!" Annica called to Roxie who flipped her the finger and closed the bathroom door.

"Of all the uncouth…" Annica murmured. She was drowned out though, by Ashley and Sam's screams of,

"COMAS?!"

"I WAS IN A WHAT?!" Sam asked incredulously.

"AND THIS HAPPENED LIKE WHEN?! HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN OUT? IS MY HAIR DYE FADED?!" Ashley cried, feeling her hair for her blonde roots.

Jazz rolled her eyes.

"No. Annica is exaggerating. It was _**not **_a coma. And to answer your question, you were only out about twelve, maybe eighteen hours. All you two needed was a good nights sleep. So chillax. The both of you. Nothing earth shattering happened while you two were out. Ashley, your hair is fine. It is still it's bleachy blonde with it's white streaks of glory. And Sam, it was less than a day. Danny hasn't run off with Paulina or some model to go get married or something. Of course, if he did, it would give you enough time to steal his boxers." Jazz coughed with a faint smile.

Sam chose to ignore the reference to her assignment as the toilet in the bathroom flushed and she heard the running water of Roxie washing her hands.

"Twelve to eighteen hours? How could you not know? There are a lot of hours in between twelve and eighteen. There's one, two, three, four, five! Five hours! There's a five-hour difference, okay? I could have a like a brain…thingy!"

"'Brain thingy'?" asked Raven. "Yes. That is exactly what they call them in the medical books. 'We regret to inform you, Mr. and Mrs. Johansson, but your son, Archibald has died from a 'brain thingy''."

"Oh no! Not Archie!!" Emma cried out dramatically fake sobbing.

"Are we done mocking the injured?" Sam asked dryly.

"Oh yes."

"Quite finished."

"Yeah, sure."

Came answers from Jazz, Raven, and Emma. Sam rolled her eyes. "Now, what happened?"

"You tell us. You told us to take your sister and we did. You were left there with the ghosties." Annica informed.

"Yeah. All we know is we took Ashley to Nurse Warner, stayed to make sure she was okay, and then we ran to find you but Inviso-…I mean, _Phantom_ met us in the second corridor by the office, you know that one? Yeah. He delivered you after telling us that you'd just passed out and that you would be okay after some rest, and then, yeah." Emma beamed.

Jazz nodded in agreement and Sam could have sworn that the two of them shared a special look. Did Jazz know that Sam knew?

She had to have met up with her brother after the whole thing, and knowing Jazz as well as she knew her (which was incredibly well) she would have pried for details down to the very molecule of the subject.

"Oh…yeah…I…remember now…" Sam murmured.

Sam barely recalled being carried out of the hole by Danny. He'd gone what he called 'ghost' and flew them out. This was of course after making sure that they didn't have anymore surprise visitors like his now ex-girlfriend, Paulina. She learned a lot from him in that short time.

She'd learned how it had happened, she learned that Tucker, Jazz, and their cousin Danielle were the only other people who knew, and she also learned that the orbs of energy and light that he and the ghost who he'd told her was named 'Vlad' had used were made out of ectoplasm.

She wasn't quite sure what to make of the whole thing. Danny Fenton, the boy who she'd admired from afar, become friends with so far throughout the year, the younger brother of her best friend, turned out to be Danny **Phantom**? She couldn't quite wrap her mind around it. She would feel so much better if she could just see him again.

'_So it wasn't a dream…but I wish he were here so I could really make sure…but what do I say? "Oh, hi Danny. Don't think I'm like crazy or anything, but are you half ghost? Just wondering?" He'd whip out a restraining order so fast…' _she thought.

"Hey. Am I interrupting something?" a voice asked. Sam looked up to see Danny peeking his head through the door.

"From the commotion I heard all the way downstairs, I figured that someone had woken up."

"Yep. Both of our Manson girls are awake…erm…not without injury though…" Roxie said, throwing Sam and Ashley sympathetic looks.

Sam gave an internal sigh as Ashley shrugged.

'_Well…ask and you shall receive.'_ Sam thought, smirking.

Annica caught on, and gave her a weird look. Sam looked away but was sure to wipe that smirk off of her face before any more suspicions arose.

"Hey." He said, smiling at Sam. Sam thought her head would spin clean off. Could she _ever_ just get a _**grip**_? As she felt her heart flutter she felt like banging her head against a cold, hard, cement block. Evi-_freaking_-dently not.

"Hey." She said smiling back.

"You feeling alright?" Danny asked her.

"Uhm yeah. A lot better now…you know, now that I'm awake." She added quickly at the risk of sounding like a total sopped up, lovesick freak.

"Yeah, I get it. I, uhm, brought you this." Danny said. As he raised his hand to show her what was in it, it was the first time she'd even realized that he was holding anything. It was a shiny purple gift bag with light green paper.

"Open it." He urged quietly, leaning in closer to Sam.

Sam felt nervous, especially since everyone was eerily and uncharacteristically quiet for once. (And even more so since Roxie was pretending to make out with someone on the wall behind Danny. She would die if he turned around…and then Roxie would too.)

She carefully parted the green tissue paper and peered inside gingerly as if expecting a ghost to pop out. Realizing that she was being stupid she reached a hand in there and grabbed what was in it.

She smiled as she realized what it was. She'd recognize those gorgeous white locks anywhere.

It was a Danny Phantom plush doll.

She looked up at Danny to see that he was right next to her. As if to reassure her, his eyes flashed green for a split second before turning back into the blue eyes that she adored so much.

Her breath caught in her throat and she gave a small nod that was unnoticeable to anyone but Danny, and most likely Jazz since she was watching her brother and her best friend very intently.

"I figured…since he saved you and all…you might want something to keep." Danny said softly. Sam nodded again. Oh, she could just kiss him! Oh, did she want to. At the risk of doing something that could be deemed pure idiocy she looked down at her violet and lavender comforter.

"Hey lovebirds! If you two are gonna start going at it, we can leave!" Ashley announced. "Especially since Romeo over there didn't bring ME anything…" Ashley coughed.

Danny laughed and seemingly brushed off the 'lovebird' comment with nothing but a slight blush. "Au contraire, mademoiselle." Danny grabbed another bag; a blue one off of the floor by Sam's bed with bright red tissue paper.

Ashley, proving once again to be Sam's polar opposite ripped it open.

"Hawt. Thank you very much." Was her reaction.

It was a blonde-ish teddy bear with streaks in its fur that resembled Ashley's wild hair.

Danny grinned back to her as his reply. "So, Loverboy," Annica began, addressing Danny. "Won't the Queen Bee completely honey her cheerleading uniform when she hears about you passing gifts to other women?"

"Oh. I guess you guys haven't heard yet. She dumped me." Danny explained nonchalantly.

His statement was followed by loud exclaims of, "WHAT?" and a loud (too loud in Sam's opinion) "YES!!" from Roxie and Emma.

"And you were going to tell me this when, little brother?" Jazz teased, elbowing him lightly.

"Whenever you asked me, older sister, dear." Danny teased back, blowing a lock of hair out of his eyes.

"Why?" questioned a curious Ashley. It was obvious that that was the question on everyone's minds, obviously except for Sam who had been there…and had been the cause of it.

"Well, it was the day of the whole ghost fiasco. She saw me with Sammy and-" Raven cut him off.

"Wait…when were you with Sam?" she asked.

Sam's eyes widened slightly. Oh, why did the cute ones have to be so daft? Her life was in _his _hands? Oh boy. She mentally suggested that he stick to crime fighting and world saving.

"Oh. Didn't Danny tell you? He found me before Phantom did. That's all I remember before I passed out. Then apparently Phantom brought me back to you. As for Danny…well…I don't know. What happened, Dan?" Sam asked.

"Aww. Mega Cute." Emma whispered to Roxie.

"Yes. 'Dan'? Lookie that. They've nicknamed each other. 'Sammy' and 'Dan-Dan'. Next thing you know they'll be mating." Roxie hissed back at Emma.

"Eww! Gross Rox! I really don't want to picture Danny and Sam _**doing**_ it!" Emma cried out loudly.

"WHAT?!" cried Danny and Sam, staring at Roxie and Emma in utter disbelief.

"She said it!" Emma tattled, pointing a finger sporting newly hot pink painted polish at Roxie.

"ANYWAY, yes Danny. Please tell us what happened." Jazz said, determinedly ignoring Roxie and Emma who were both still pointing at the other, gaping and saying that the other had started it.

"Well, I guess I must've passed out myself…" Danny guessed, sheepishly grinning as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Sam repressed either a swoon or a giggle. She wasn't sure which one was about to come out. Either way though, she repressed it, which she was glad for.

She loved Danny's nervous habits. Two of them were the sheepish grin that he was known for that made her heart flutter, as well as the way that he rubbed the back of his neck when he was nervous or embarrassed.

"-and all that." She heard Danny say. She then realized that he'd been talking while she'd been mentally gushing about him.

"So I guess she took it the wrong way, accused me of some stuff, basically called me an adulterer, stormed out and broke a window." Danny shrugged.

"Wait…so Paulina thinks that you guys are having a torrid love affair?" Emma questioned, laughing at the thought.

"Just about, yep." Sam put in.

"And Danny, have you seen Paulina since then?" Emma questioned.

"Uhm…nope." Danny answered.

"Uh-oh…" Annica murmured, catching onto what her best friend was doing. "And Sam's been out of it since it happened…"

"Which would mean that no one's seen Sam…or Danny…" Jazz caught on.

"Are we missing something?" Sam asked, speaking for Danny and her.

She was ignored, as were Danny and Ashley.

"Your friends are weird…" Ashley whispered to Sam.

"I know…" Sam sighed, mock sullenly.

"And if they haven't seen either of them, together or apart…and since Paulina has undoubtedly spread that Sam is a boyfriend-stealing-two-bit-skank-floozy-whore..."

"HEY!" Sam cried out. "Who's side are you ON?!"

"…that would mean that everyone thinks they're hiding…" Raven pieced in, continuing as if Sam hadn't spoken.

"Oh, I get it now." Ashley nodded.

She then turned to Sam and her nodding head turning into a shaking one. "What are they **talking** about?!" she mouthed.

"Hello, duh. Since no one's seen you guys together, or at all in that case, with only Paulina's side of the story while the accused are conveniently nowhere to be found, they are obviously going to believe that you guys are hiding and ducking out together to escape the flames of your torrid love affair." Roxie explained matter-of-factly.

"B-B-B-But there _**is**_ no '_torrid_ love affair'! There's not even a '_**cold**_ love affair'! There isn't a love affair of _**any**_ temperature! There is no love!"

Sam got six '_yeah right'_ looks at that.

"There is no affair!" Sam alleged looking worried. "And as if I don't have enough Paulina problems!" she went on.

"She specifically told me to stay away from her boyfriend. And now she thinks I'm a-a-a-a whatever the hell Raven called me!" Sam cried.

"Boyfriend-stealing-two-bit-skank-floozy-whore." Filled in Raven, Jazz, Ashley, Roxie, Annica, and Emma on the spot.

Sam sent them all morbid death glares and using the ESP that she wished she had she bid them all to Hell.

Danny sat at the edge of Sam's bed near her elevated ankle, thinking about all that he'd just found out.

"Right. Well, in that case, I guess I'm not helping by prolonging my 'appearance'. So, uh, I'd better go down there and maintain some damage control before you guys get down there…y'anno whenever you guys are able to get up and around." He finished lamely getting up off of the soft comforter.

"See you later, Sammy." He smiled. He made his way through the short distance to Sam's white painted, somewhat heavy oak door, opened it and said, "Later guys." Before leaving completely.

After they were sure that he was gone, Raven spoke up. "So _Sammy_ when's the wedding?"

"Sometime next June." Sam replied coolly.

"Who's your Maid Of Honor?" Ashley questioned.

"Jazz." Sam answered without hesitation. "The rest of you bunch are bridesmaids."

"Me? And why is that?" Jazz asked, fighting down a smirk.

The others agreed with Jazz and questioned her as to why.

"Because," Sam answered simply, feeling her mouth curve up into a smile, "Jazz is the only one that I can be completely certain won't sleep with the groom."

There was a moment of silence until one of them snickered and they all burst into laughter. From the other side of the door, Danny smirked at them and wondered what outrageous color they'd planned for his suit before finally going down the stairs.

After their laughter had died down some, Ashley finally took a look towards the heavy black curtains that Sam had on her windows. Ashley parted one of the curtains, looked out the window and was shocked.

"Hey guys…has anyone else noticed that it's snowing…in February?" she asked in confusion.

"Uhm…well, February is considered winter so…" Annica trailed off.

"No, no, no. Here, fine. Let me put it this way. Has anyone else noticed that it is _snowing_…in _February_...in Amity Park, _**California**_?" she asked.

"Oh! Yeah. I meant to tell you. Our classes have been cancelled so far, and they are until further notice, probably because so many parents are totally freaked after the ghost attack, and a lot of students were hurt and injured during the attacks like you and Ashley.

"That, on top of the fact that no one's allowed to go outside because the snow is resulting in total trouble piled onto Lancer, lawsuits that might be filed, and a seriously heavy case of cabin fever spreading through the school." Raven explained.

"Okay, so what I don't get is, why the snow?" Sam asked.

"Well, it goes without saying that it has to be an effect of the ghost attack. Most likely it caused a weather related imbalance resulting in temperature changes somehow. We were just learning about things such as this in Mr. McLarkin's class when we covered—"

Roxie looked at Jazz with disdain. "Smart girl, shut up. You make me feel dumb."

"Well, maybe you are, Roxanne _**Eileen**_ Forrester." Jazz taunted.

Roxie gasped. "Jazmine _**Madeline**_ Fenton!"

"Oh, you naughty, naughty girls. Watch your language." Annica said blandly.

"Don't you start Britannica _**Marileen **_Reed." Jazz countered.

Annica pouted. "Low blow!" Emma laughed and Annica made a face at her. "It isn't funny Emily _**Alexandrea**_ Court."

Emma shrugged and laughed some more. "Don't care! I'm perfectly fine with my name!"

The girls erupted into another fit of laughter. "I hate mine. It sounds so absolutely preppy! Ashley **Christine** Manson." Ashley said, making a yucky face at Sam when she snorted.

"Don't be so happy, Sam. With your Victorian sounding middle name." she said.

"Hey. 'Elizabeth' is a common middle name, thank you. Samantha Elizabeth Manson is just fine." Sam said.

"You mean 'Samantha Elizabeth _**Fenton**_'." Raven giggled.

"Yeah, yeah. Well, you're the last one to have their secret revealed. What's your last name?" Sam asked her.

"Ugh. Nooo. My name is way too…I dunno. I think it's ghetto!" Raven laughed. "If there was doubt in anyone's mind that I was a black girl, after they hear my name? Whoa."

"Oh, come on. Mine is 'Marileen'. Nothing is worse than that." Annica countered.

"That's the worst part. My mother gave me TWO middle names." Raven groaned.

"C'mooon!" Roxie urged.

"Fine…if I'm the last one…" Raven said, defeated. "My full name is Raven Anajia Brooke Chaudrey."

"That isn't even that bad you big baby. It's nice." Ashley told the older girl. "Don't cha think, Sam?"

Sam ignored her younger sister though.

"Hey…" said Sam, something suddenly dawning on her as she noticed a bunch of suitcases in the corner of her room. "Ashley…why are you in my room?"

"Oh!" Ashley beamed. "Since I woke up a little before you, when Nurse Gloria came in she told me that they moved me into your room so that we could be together. And since your room is bigger than the one I had, I asked if I could move in, she said yeah, my things were moved, and now, here we are roomie!"

Sam visibly blanched. Rooming? With **Ashley**?

"Jazz…make magic. Make it go awaaaay." Sam whined.

"Sam, I may be smart, we may be best friends, and my hair is at times prone to extreme bushiness, especially when I wake up in the morning, but regardless, I am _not_ Hermione Granger and I cannot do magic."

Sam whimpered. The only thing she had to look forward to now was her ankle healing so she could kick her little sister out. But even then, she had to look forward to the drama of a lifetime with Paulina and her little crew.

Which was the lesser of two evils? She had not a clue.

* * *

(Lightning Streak Takes Over)

Her hands clenched. Her delicate fists shook in fury. Her pink, manicured nails dug into her palm.

She was mad.

No, scratch that: Paulina Sanchez was furious.

'_How dare he!' _She mentally screeched. '_How __**dare**__ he!' _

The Latina was currently seething over her so-called boyfriend; or rather, the _lack _of her so-called boyfriend.

'_I can't believe it!' _She fumed. '_He ditched me!' _

'_That loser ditched me. __**Me**__! And for some Goth __**freak**__…!'_

Ooh, he was gonna get another mouthful of pain next time she saw him! '_Why, I ought to—' _

"- Uh…Paulina?" a snobby, but rather hesitant voice interrupted her tirade. "You're spacing…and it's sooo totally not cool."

Instantly, Paulina snapped back to reality, a red blush marring her tanned skin. One of her followers was staring at her with a somewhat odd expression on her face.

"What?" Paulina snapped nastily, her eyes flashing green. The last thing she wanted to do was get reminded of that, that _scene_!

Instantly, her follower flew into "worship the leader" mode, and backpedaled a bit in her words. She bubbled something out, saying how Paulina was normally so graceful that it was strange to see her so…spacey.

The girl didn't mention the scary-eyes. She was too afraid to.

And Paulina, being the self-absorbed individual that she was, completely ignored her "friend's" opinion, and automatically ruled that she herself could do no wrong. It was the follower- whatever her name was…she thought it was Macy…or Cindy…- that was in the wrong.

Now, her _boyfriend _on the other hand…scratch that…_ex-boyfriend…_

He was wrong. Definitely wrong. _Incredibly_ wrong. So wrong, in fact, that Paulina just wanted him to _die. _

She blinked for a second, and her eyes flashed back to normal.

They were sitting in the lunchroom. Well, Paulina was; not Danny.

As a matter of fact, the teen couldn't even find Danny at all. She was sitting with Dash, and Kwan, and other such characters, but her caramel eyes scanned every inch of that cafeteria in search of Danny.

And still, she couldn't find him.

Which was probably why she was so mad.

And probably why she was spacing. Which, she so totally _wasn't _doing, by the way.

At any rate, her hand still hurt from breaking a window. Her pride was still hurt because of that, too. And who did she have to thank for all of this trouble?

Sam Manson.

She gritted her teeth.

Just with the acknowledgement of that name, Paulina felt a wave of anger course through her body. Because of everything that had happened, her intense dislike for Sam Manson had flamed into a burning hatred.

'_She's hiding with him, I know it! That boyfriend-stealing-two-bit-skank-floozy-whore __**stole**__ my boyfriend!' _

'_That freak stole Danny! From __**me**__…'_

She hadn't told anyone about it yet who was outside her circle, luckily. The obvious embarrassment would damage her own reputation, and if anything, hurt her reign as 'Queen Bee'.

'_I got ditched for a __**freak**_!'

No, she couldn't tell anybody; at least not yet.

She was waiting for him to come crawling back, begging for forgiveness. Plead with her. Flash those regretful baby blues at her. And then, then, right when he thought he'd made it up to her, she would crush his heart. Break it into little, bite-sized pieces.

Like a crumbled, Oreo cookie.

The thought brought a small smile of satisfaction to Paulina's face.

She was sure that the others in the cafeteria were staring strangely, but she didn't care. She was planning revenge, and that was all that mattered.

During the ghost attack, Paulina had run with the rest of the crowd, edging away as fast as she could from that creepy vampire-ghost _thing_. She had just been passing, trying to find Danny. But apparently, _that_ wasn't gonna happen anytime soon.

Nope, her self-preservation told her to forget about stickin' around.

But considering that fact that everyone was stampeding and tripping over each other, and whatnot, she figured that it wasn't worth it to try and find him.

She had originally shrugged her shoulders, thinking that he was one of the first to run out of the place.

She hadn't given it a second thought.

But then, when she caught a glimpse of a certain Ghost Boy, all of her fears subsided, and something else took its place. It was a heart-warming, little flame of hope, and a small smile found its way to her lips.

In the midst of the panic, occasional dropped clipboards from teachers, and overall stampede of coughing, sick students, Paulina found herself drawn back to the fight. The halls were streaming with panicked teachers and sick students, heading for the other end of the building, or any other possible escape.

And Paulina?

She had run back to the hall.

The sophomore had stuck close to a niche in the wall, and as soon as the stampede of students was gone, she had slowly crept back She had been expecting to see Inviso-Bill fighting like a knight in shining armor, defending her in her time of need! (Not that Danny needed to know about her small obsession with the ghost, or anything…it was just a crush! Nothing more! She wasn't cheating or anything by just looking, right?)

But no_. Oh_, no.

That wasn't what she saw…

Instead, she saw her boyfriend, Danny, in a freakin' hole with her enemy, the gothic-freak. On top of each other.

Humping. Or so it looked.

And _man_, after that, she saw red. _Blood red_. She remembered screaming at Danny and his little hole buddy, and then storming away. Hot tears threatened to fall, and her hands shook with absolute fury and embarrassment.

And then Ms. Baxter came, offering to help.

After that, Paulina couldn't remember much. At times, she didn't even feel like herself, especially when she got mad. Her friends gave her weird looks every once in a while.

Sometimes, she felt déjà vu, and the strangest sense of falling asleep for moments at a time. But then, she'd "wake up" and be seemingly functioning fine. Like her body was on 'automatic' or something.

And, for the past few days, it seemed to be getting worse. These strange 'lapses' got longer every time. It was growing increasingly harder to connect back to reality.

Totally weird...

It sort of made Paulina's skin crawl, just thinking about it.

She didn't _want_ to think about it, though. She didn't want it to get in her way. No, she had better things to worry about!

Like getting revenge on Danny.

Her bubble-gum pink glossed lips curled up into a cruel smile. '_Revenge sounds nice…'_

And off on a mental tangent she went.

Oh yes, she was gonna make her two-timing boyfriend...ahem, _ex_boyfriend pay, and pay dearly. She was gonna hurt him somehow, someway. The idea of making him beg for forgiveness just had this _ring_to it. And the idea of turning the whole school against them sounded even better.

Little did she know, her eyes had flashed green once more.

Her mind was overtaken with hatred.

Oh yes, cute little 'Sammy and Dan-Dan' were gonna pay…

Revenge was a dish best served cold.

* * *

Three weeks passed by faster than the blink of an eye. Paulina had yet to reveal the truth to the school masses, and Danny and Sam had yet to publicly show any knowledge of what had really gone on. The girls still crusaded on in their secret missions, and all still teased Sam unmercifully about Danny.

They were convinced that a wedding was in order.

Oh, and Sam still didn't like having her sister as a roommate. Actually, she _hated _it. It was like, in her own words, the ultimate Hell for any older sister.

No one could have that amount of energy and still be human.

But that's irrelevant to the current situation.

Anyway, that day found them all at lunch. Reliable, old school lunch…unlike their unreliable surroundings…

It had all started off innocently enough. Paulina had entered the lunch line behind our favorite gang, as if in one of those "I'm-hot-and-you're-not" trances. And the Secret Assignment gang had rolled their eyes, you know, same old same old.

It got more interesting after that.

After the gang had paid for their food, they had gone to sit down. Which, normally, wasn't such a big deal, because most things they did weren't incredibly ground shaking.

It was what happened _after _they sat down that was really messed up.

Emma and Ashley had decided to bond a bit, and sat next to each other on one side of the table, babbling about strange and random things that made strangers look at them oddly.

Because of this; Raven, Annica, Roxie, Tucker, and Jazz sat on the other side of the table, in a small attempt to maintain their sanity. In that order.

After that, all Hell broke loose.

For not but two minutes later, Paulina had just paid for her lunch, and Danny and Sam had _just _walked into the cafeteria.

Together. Side-by-side. Buddy, buddy.

Holding hands…well, not really. Danny was helping Sam get in the door since she was still a little wobbly with walking.

Well, their rather silent entrance undoubtedly shouted a message to the world.

And Paulina was, surprisingly, _not_ the first one to get that message.

Rather, the _student body _was.

In the matter of seconds after being spotted, the two's names were on everybody's lips.

"Hey, do you guys see that? I—"

"—_thought_ they had something going on!"

"—so weird to see that they—"

"—are holding hands! _Hands, _Frenchie!"

"—Thought he was going out with _Paulina_?"

Sam and Danny were completely submerged in their own little world, seemingly forgetting about reality. Their hands swung in time with their steps, and Danny turned his head to whisper something in Sam's ear.

Unfortunately, from the perspective of the student body, that small action actually looked like Danny had _kissed_ Sam. Instantly, their loud whispers grew to a steady disbelief.

And _that_ was when Paulina turned around.

Her jaw dropped.

_Oh. My. God. _

For the first time in three weeks, Paulina actually laid eyes on her former boyfriend. And from the flare of hatred that instantly rose to her eyes, her grudge hadn't died.

Rather, it had gotten worse.

She had been planning on confronting him and Sam that day. That lunch hour. She meant to tell the whole cafeteria about their sin against her!

And now, her whole plan was ruined!

Them…holding hands! Kissing! Acting all…together-ish! Paulina's lips curled back in a disgusted shock. Her turquoise colored eyes were wide, as if she had been punched in the gut.

The whispers of her friends instantly sprang to her ears, as did the loud questions of those surrounding her.

"What's going on, Paulina?"

"I thought you and Danny were going out?"

"—Danny and her doing together?"

"—_why _he's with _her_, and not you?"

Her temples pulsed with their words. Her head ached with the sudden onslaught of interrogation.

Now…_now_ she'd have to do a little improvising. Which, for someone like her (who _obviously_ could do anything), acting wouldn't be hard. It wasn't really acting, anyway. It was the truth, with a little twist.

In a moment's quick decision, Paulina decided to switch her tactics.

She "accidentally" dropped her tray on the ground, and proceeded to dish out a massive unloading from three years of Acting Class. The sound of flying carrots and clattering plastic caught everyone's attention, and all eyes flew to Paulina.

A small, mental smile hid behind her eyes. Oh, she was gonna make this scene good. She was gonna come out on top, like the unknowing victim.

She was going to send Sam and Danny to the slaughterhouse.

Paulina dramatically froze in her spot, as if she was a deer caught in the headlights.

Crocodile tears welled up in her eyes. Her bottom lip quivered, her shoulders shook softly, and her speech purposely stuttered. "I…I…"

And instantly, her friends surrounded her like a brick wall, comforting her and asking what happened.

Cue Paulina's freakishly realistic breakdown.

"I-it…it was so horrible!" she sobbed into the shoulders of her protective friends. "I didn't know what to do!"

"I knew it had been going on for a while; I knew Danny was cheating on me…" She sniffled a bit, and everyone hung on her words.

Danny and Sam glanced at each other, wide-eyed. _What's going on?! _Seemed to be reflected in both their expressions.

Paulina continued on with her story, an unseen evil glint in her eye. "I just…I just didn't want to believe it, you know?" she explained pathetically. "I didn't want to believe that my boyfriend was going behind my back…I just tried to be a good girlfriend…"

There was absolute silence in that cafeteria. A random individual could have heard a pin drop.

"Especially after he defended her against his own teammate!" she sobbed.

Everyone was hung on Paulina's words, as if addicted to the angst pouring from her story. All around, confusion and surprise floated through people's heads. The idea of Paulina Sanchez being hurt by a guy was almost unheard of! Taboo!

Not to mention that they had originally thought Danny was so nice…

And all the while, Danny was too shocked to speak up and defend himself. Sam was just too surprised to do anything.

'_What…in the world…?'_

What had this misunderstanding escalated to?

Paulina's dry sobs softened a bit as she tried to speak. "And then…and then, I _saw _it. I didn't want to believe it, but I _saw_ it…"

Her hands suddenly began to shake in anger, and her eyes quickly flashed green. "I saw _them_!" she pointed angrily at Danny and Sam. "_Together! _I had just been trying to find Danny to spend time with him, and what do I find? Them freakin' _humping_ each other in some friggin', God-forsaken _hole_!"

Her speech having reached its climax, she dramatically collapsed to the floor on her knees (careful to avoid her spilled lunch.) Her friends kneeled beside her, and rubbed her shoulders, and did things that even fake friends would do to help a distressed individual.

A few people from the tables even came to surround Paulina and try to comfort her.

"I can't believe it…"

The Secret Assignment gang just stared on in complete, and _utter_ shock.

'_Oh my God…This is __**so**__ not good…!' _Emma thought.

Worried glances met, and yet none were able to say a word in Danny's defense.

"I _knew_ I should have listened to my friends!" Paulina cried out angrily. "I _knew _you were a no-good, back-stabbing cheater, Danny Fenton!" She gave him one pitiful sob, allowing her posse to help her back up.

"I hope you're happy!" she bit out, with every inch of malice. Her eyes flashed a deep green for the quickest second. "Danny Fenton!" Paulina shook, and then added in the quietest whisper, "_you broke my heart_…"

Finally, with that, she dashed out of the cafeteria and slammed open the doors, leaving her silent audience in their shocked state.

Leaving Danny in one _heck_ of a Lion's Den.


	11. The Calm Before The Almighty Storm

Okay all, here's revision number eleven! It's basically exactly the same, with a few things added in, changed, taken out, ect. ect. ect.

Enjoy,

Keyarrah

* * *

It was a silent Friday morning in the main girls' dormitory lounge room (otherwise known as the Girls' Common Room 3A) and the seven girls sat down, all busying themselves with something.

Emma was painting her toes a tiger design, frantically switching back and forth between black, brown, gold, and orange polish, Roxie was supposedly hacking into NASA but was heard every so often grumbling, "Damn Neopet…", Jazz was reviewing her notes for her test later on Quantum Physics (a test in which she was giving herself…), Sam was off in la-la land on her Sidekick III, most likely IMing Danny (who she'd seemed closer to lately much to Paulina's dismay).

Raven and Ashley were in a dangerous battle of the cartoon version "Scene It" a few minutes before but when Ashley leapt up, swinging one of her crutches in the air and screamed, "HEY ARNOLD!" Sam kicked her, told her to shut up and made her sit down, so they were now sitting there giggling quietly and amusing themselves in a corner with who knew what, and Annica was sitting cross-legged on the couch with a baby blue blanket thrown over her legs awkwardly, not used to being cold, as she read a large and heavy leather-bound book.

"_'Every ass loves to hear himself bray'_…"

Emma whipped her head around to stare at Annica in confusion. "Wha?"

"_'Every ass loves to hear himself bray'_." Annica repeated, peering back down at her book.

Everyone exchanged confused glances. "Annica…what the hell are you reading?" Jazz asked at the same time that Ashley questioned, "Wait…you are talking about donkeys…right?"

"_'Wise Old Witches'_." Annica replied, not taking her eyes off of her page.

"Oh my sweet Jesus, she's joined the occult…" Sam muttered quite loudly as a 'ding' came from her Sidekick. Annica threw a dark glare at her and Sam made a cross with her two index fingers and hissed, which resulted in a snort from Roxie, who then screamed, "NO! DAMN YOU CHIA BOMBER!"

"No, stupid. It's a book of old sayings. It's got sayings about everything in here." Annica said.

"Really? What about _**kisses**_?" Ashley asked, making smoochy faces.

Sam blatantly ignored the faces her sister was making at her and concentrated on her black and silver Sidekick. Oh, look. New messages. Any from Danny?

Annica flipped through her rather large book and nodded. "Yep. Let's see…uhm…_'The Pope and your boss are only different_ in _the fact that the Pope only expects you to kiss his ring'_…?" Annica cocked her head to the side.

"Psh. And today's parents wonder why we have no work ethic…I mean if _that's_ what we have to look forward to…" Jazz snorted.

"Mm." Emma nodded, finishing another slanted stripe. "Anymore that aren't so lecherous…or don't involve schmoozing?"

"Uhm…_'When a thief kisses you dear, it would be wise to count your teeth.'_" Annica read.

"Okay…Annica…in like ten minutes, yeah, we're going to burn your book of Satan." Sam told her, giving her a weird look. Raven gave a giggle.

"Yeah, well, I've got a saying of my own," Ashley announced. "When the going gets tough, kick whoever made it that way!" she beamed.

"Way to go, Ash. You're a real Aristotle." Jazz snickered.

Ashley looked at her in confusion. "I don't shop there."

She received a bunch of confused looks. "You know. Aristotle and Fitch?" Everyone stared at her in a mix of confusion and disbelief. Sam was finally the one who spoke up.

"You were adopted. You know that, right?" she asked. Ashley rolled her eyes at her sister.

"If anyone should be cranky, it should be me. Having to listen to you all night muttering about Danny in your sleep; keeping me up…" she said, looking at her sister with a glint in her eye.

"I say," Emma announced, "that we find some _looove_ quotes. Then maybe Dan-Dan and Sammy will get a clue."

"Will you stop it with those stupid nicknames?" Sam groaned. She would _kill_ them if they kept it up…

"Oh, chill Sam. Besides, those nicknames aren't so stupid when you and Danny use them on each other, now are they?" Roxie asked, smirking.

"Shut up. At least I'm not planning to go dress shopping with my husband, Mrs. Foley." Sam countered. Roxie's eyes widened momentarily before she gave a subtle glare and turned back to Neopets—I mean _**NASA**_.

"So you admit that you have a husband, Mrs. Fenton?" Emma asked, smirking as she blew on her toes. Sam flipped her off and Annica muttered something about her friends having no manners whatsoever.

"So, speaking of the infamous Mr. Fenton, what are the two of you going to do about the nasty little display that Paulina set up?" Annica questioned.

"I have no idea. You saw how we both bolted after the whole thing went down! I knew Paulina was crazy, but **that**? That was bad even on HER standards." Sam replied brazenly.

"True. We so totally warned you about all of this though. You should know that the girl is out of her freaking mind by now. I think the pink is finally seeping into her brain." Jazz said thoughtfully.

"What brain?" Roxie asked, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, you know what this means, don't you? We have to play her at her own game and kick her little prep butt." She declared, answering her own question.

"And how pray tell are we going to do that?" Sam asked.

"Good question. Do share, Miss. Forrester." Ashley said to the girl.

"Not here. Not secure enough. Everyone meet me back down here at eleven tonight." Roxie told them glibly.

"Fine. But the last time one of us had a super secret idea, _**I **_ended up in a hooker conga line." Sam said, darkly throwing a look at Annica.

"Ach! Scary look. Go snog your hubby, creepy!" Emma snorted.

The rest of their morning went like this with them going through their playful banter and those who walked into the Common Room quickly left, not wanting to be involved in the insanity.

* * *

Paulina sat in her dorm room, livid. After a particularly unfulfilling quickie make-out session with Dash behind one of the second floor stairwells, she had remembered exactly why she was able to make out with Dash, no strings attached.

_**Danny**_.

But mostly it was Sam. Samantha Manson was the reason that she and Danny were no longer together. She knew it officially when she saw them in the cafeteria together. Of course her plan was awesome.

Why wouldn't it be? Everything about her was just that. Totally freaking awesome, duh! Suddenly in a blind rage she felt more tired than before.

"_Sleep…" _her mind told her. Paulina obeyed and as soon as she started to lie down on her bed she was out like a light. It was then that Sophia Baxter tapped on the door lightly. After no one answered the blonde woman came in.

"Mr. Masters…phase one is complete. The response is normal. She's ours." She spoke into a watch on her left wrist.

"_Good," _said a voice coming from the watch. _"Now…we just have to get the other one."_

"You mean Miss. Reed?" she asked. Vlad nodded silently on the screen. "It'll be easy…once she gets another headache."

"And how do we make sure, Master Vlad?" Sophia questioned.

_Patience, Sophia, dear. I always have a plan."_

Danny bolted up in a cold sweat. What was up with these dreams?

"I've got to relax," he told himself.

"It just so happens that I'm having a dream about one creepy lady that I believe hates me, and two people that I know hate me for sure. One has evil demon claws, scary eyes and has the whole school afraid of them…and Vlad is pretty bad too." Danny squinted as he suddenly noticed the sun beaming in through his navy blue curtains.

He looked over at the bed across from his to see that Tucker wasn't there. A quick glance at his watch that lay on his bedside dresser told him that it was well into the afternoon, three o'clock to be specific.

He figured that he really should leave his dorm, but he doubted that it was the safest thing that he could do. A good half that had bought Paulina's tripe wanted his blood. Deciding that nothing could be done at the moment he gave a stretch, threw off the covers, and threw his legs over the side of the bed.

"Might as well take a shower. If I do have to make this dreaded appearance, might as well make it not smelling like sweat and…" Danny gave himself a sniff. "…slow roasted pork?"

He gave a deep, derisive and very disturbed sigh as he realized that Tucker must have been using his dad's newest invention as a rotisserie last night. He grabbed his MP3 player, plugged it in into the speakers Tucker installed in the bathroom and soon the dorm was filled with sounds of Breaking Benjamin's, "One of a Kind".

He turned on the shower, turned the music up in case any angry mobs appeared at the door, threw off his sweatpants and hopped in. Due to all of this, he did not hear Ashley enter his room.

"Uh…'ellooo?" Ashley called. She heard the shower, and knocked on the door. "Hello? Tucker? Lover of my sibby? Any other testosterone filled horndog that might be in this vicinity?"

Ashley opened the bathroom door and decided that she was going to politely beckon to them, throw whoever it was a towel, and leave the message.

That was of course until she slipped on Danny's discarded gray and black sweatpants and almost ended up in the shower with him, but banged her head on the side of the tub instead.

"AHHHH!" Ashley shrieked.

The water immediately turned off, and Danny peered out of the shower, where he was hidden (luckily for Ashley, lest she face the almighty wrath of Sam…) and his adorable baby blue eyes widened in shock.

"Ashley?" He asked incredulously.

"Uh-huh. And not Simpson either…" she said, her voice wavering nervously as she tried to make the joke. "Uhm…I was supposed to find…Tucker."

"Oh." Danny nodded slowly. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Danny cleared his throat. "Uhm…I'm…naked…"

"Oh." Ashley said, reciprocating the nod that Danny had just done. "That is…uh…normal shower…etiquette."

There was another awkward silence before Ashley spoke up. "My sister likes you, I wish that she were in this predicament at the moment instead of me, and I'm willing to bet that so do the both of you."

"Uh…wait, what? Sam likes me?" He asked. Ashley gave him a look as if he were insane.

"…Your sister's right. You are dumb. I'm gonna go out…out of this room. Nice song, by the way. Breaking Benjamin? Cool. Erm...You're naked…bye!" Ashley bolted out of the door, turning a little pink.

Danny cleared his throat again. Sam liked him back? Wait, what did he mean by 'back'? Did he like Sam? He would have to like Sam if Sam liked him and he liked Sam back? Wait…Sam liked him?

"Hey, nakie boy! Ya done?" Ashley called through the door, interrupting his thoughts. Danny banged his head on the faucet and instantly regretted it as soon as he felt the throbbing pain and imagined the red mark forming on his forehead.

"Hey Danny," Ashley began, leaning closer so that her voice could be heard through the door.

"Yes?" Danny asked tiredly.

"_'Every ass loves to hear himself bray.'_" She replied.

"…_**What**__?"_

"That's what I said!" she cried. "There was also something about the pope being a perv or something like that too…and something about working and-"

Danny could already tell that this was going to be a looong, looong day, with or without the angry mobs.

* * *

"You did what?"

"It's not like I even saw anything! He was behind the curtain and—"

"You saw what?"

"Nothing! And then, when I told him that you liked him he was all—"

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Sam pounced on her sister, and Annica and Emma sat watching them from their places on the couch, passing the popcorn back and forth.

"Y'anno, this is better than 'Animal Planet'!" Emma declared. "I'm so glad the cable on the portable went out."

"'When Sisters Attack!!—Special Goth Girl Edition'. I should say so, friend." Annica agreed.

"Should we break it up?" Emma asked Annica.

"Yeah…but then again, who are we to interfere?" Annica said, munching on popcorn.

"Too true. Family dynamical issues and whatnot. Not our place, that's what not…or not…what…" Emma said, looking up into space as she confused herself.

"What? Sam! Ashley!" Raven shouted in confusion, coming into the room. Annica and Emma leapt off of their butts.

"Break it up! Break it up!" Emma shouted as well, pulling Sam off of Ashley. "Rae…hello…we _had _it under control."

Raven rolled her eyes. "What is up with you two, now?" she asked the quarreling sisters.

"She walked in on Danny in the shower, and THEN told him that I liked him!" Sam growled threateningly at her sister.

"Oh, like he didn't know! …Okay, so he didn't. But NOW there is room for growth, and prosperity, and love, and…all that other mushy-gushy crap." Ashley filled in, waving her hand dismissively. Sam sent her a growling glare combination.

"Uhm…whoa. Down Snoopy." Jazz remarked, walking in and eyeing Sam oddly. Before Emma, Annica, or Raven could even open their mouths all the way she cut in with, "Don't. I don't even want to know. No questions are being asked. I'm silent. Where's Roxie?"

"Yes!" Ashley cried, jumping up and pointing at Jazz.

"…Roxie is yes? Right. Can anyone who makes **sense** answer my question, please?" she asked, looking at everyone who just shrugged, besides Ashley.

"No! I mean, yes!" Ashley explained. She received blank stares. She rolled her eyes as if they were stupid.

"Yes! That is what I was doing. Well, not really, since I know where Roxie is. She sent me to look for Tucker, and I went to their dorm, and that's when I walked in on Danny in the shower. But for the last time, I didn't SEE anything, and I am GLAD. G-L-A-D. Like the garbage bags." She nodded, as if agreeing with herself.

"Oh…wait. You walked in on my brother in the shower?" Jazz questioned, looking bewildered.

"Yes, little miss, 'I-don't-wanna-know'. That's what we were going to tell you." Emma replied, sticking out her tongue. Raven nodded in agreement and followed suit. Annica simply shrugged.

"Well, yeah, I mean I thought it was something dumb, like the time when Ashley stole Sam's favorite Flyleaf hoodie and ripped a sleeve off after she got the sleeve caught in the downstairs vending machine." Jazz explained, putting her hair up into a messy bun on the top of her head. Sam glowered at the memory.

"Mm. Yes. Ashley does likey da Skittles…" Ashley said dreamily.

"Sam liked that hoodie…you brat." Sam muttered.

"So where _is_ Roxie again?" Jazz asked, changing the subject.

Ashley looked thoughtful for a moment. "Oh! She's asking Tucker out or something like that." Suddenly Annica gave a loud, high-pitched squeal.

"Ahhh! Yayfulness!" she cried.

Sam's expression darkened. "Britannica…Marileen…Reed…if you EVER…" she started.

"Never gonna happen again!" Annica piped up, pressing her lips tightly together with a slight trace of a smirk. You could still see the excitement dancing around in her eyes.

"…Why do I sense…'_happy_'?" Roxie asked, looking at them in confusion as she walked in.

"Recap! Okay, Ashley just quote-unquote ruined Sam's image—Sam, love ya girl, but we have seen your _frilly panties_, as did Danny. _**What **_image?—Oh, and apparently you just snagged a hot date with Mr. Foley." Raven beamed.

Sam scowled and then blushed. Oh no…everyone HAD seen them…even Mr. Lancer when he assigned flier cleanup… Could someone just stab her right in the heart…or maybe she could wish for amnesia again…

"Yeah, yeah. Mind your business you cackling hens." Roxie reprimanded, plopping on the couch, forcing room in-between Emma and Annica.

Jazz was interrupted from what she was about to say about the cackling hen comment by a 'ping' sound coming from her cell phone.

"It's Danny. He said he needs a distraction and that he needs to come in here without it seeming suspicious since this is where Sam is."

"Distraction? That has me all over it. Oh, please? Oh, please? Oh puh-uh-uh-uh-leeze?!" Ashley begged.

The girls all gave indifferent looks. "Fine with us. Go right ahead. Distract the student body. Sluice down their brain cells that are currently filled with all that knowledge-y gook. Please, Ashley. Disturb, disrupt, and cause discord. G-"

"Roxie, shut the hell up. Ashley, hurry." Sam rolled her eyes.

Roxie looked a bit put out by Sam interrupting her speech, but nonetheless nodded and made a shooing motion towards the door.

Ashley took a moment to daintily untie her shoelace, pull a pant leg up, yank a part of her t-shirt off of one shoulder and take the sock of the shoeless foot and put it on her left hand.

She bent over frontward and with her sockless hand she messed her hair up and made it look disheveled and unruly. Taking a deep breath, and ignoring her sister's complaints that she was going too slow, she opened the door, ran out and began screaming,

"**THE DINGO ATE MY BABY! THE DINGO ATE MY BABY! OH MY SWEET GEORGIA PICKLED TOES! THE DINGO! THE DINGO!**"

She saw Danny hiding behind a corridor with his cell and gave him a discreet wink. "ISN'T THAT RIGHT MR. WALLACE-HEIPELSTIEMER THE THIRD? DIDN'T THAT RABID DINGO EAT THAT BABY? OH, YES IT DID. OH, YES IT DID!" she screamed frantically, addressing the bright red sock. By now almost everyone had stopped to stare and Danny was with the others.

"Yes. Yes it did, Ashley, but you must stay calm." She said in a deep psycho voice, acting as the voice to the puppet.

"CALM? CALM? HOW CAN I STAY CALM MR. WALLACE-HEIPELSTIEMER THE THIRD? HUH? THE CONG-FLABBING **DINGO** ATE MY CONG-FLABBING **BABY**!" she wailed.

A substitute teacher with a worried expression approached Ashley worriedly. Ashley didn't recognize her and the teacher seemed beyond fazed when she began to growl like a dog.

"Miss. Manson…please, come with me. Let's talk. Let me have your sock." She tried to reason soothingly.

"_Look old bag, you touch Mr. Wallace-Heipelstiemer the third and there will be __**hell**__ to pay, woman…_" she growled in a low, throaty voice.

* * *

Meanwhile, Danny was in the common room with the girls. "Hey." He said, breathlessly sitting down on a big white couch next to Jazz. "You guys are never going to believe this."

"Try us." Annica replied, batting her eyes sweetly. Sam poked her and Annica gave an evil grin.

"I found out something that could get Paulina to quit it with all the lies." He said, speaking particularly to Sam.

"Oh yeah, like what?" Emma asked, speaking for everyone.

"Like the fact that she, Star, and Ana have a secret." He retorted.

Jazz rolled her eyes. "No duh, she has a secret. She has lots of secrets. She's a spawn of evil, Danny. Of course she has her little secrets. That whole stupid stunt in the cafeteria was a secret plot. That's what her kind do, baby brother. They plot…secretly." She added thoughtfully.

Roxie nodded, before tapping a finger to her chin, and glancing momentarily out into the hall where she could hear the loud screams dying down.

"It looks like Ashley can't hold out much longer, so let's make this brief. Yes…and while I do see your point Jazz, this could be worth our time. I mean it's one thing for Paulina to have a secret, but for all three of them to have a secret…that's big.

"It's no secret about how Paulina feels about those two dunderheads. She is the almighty ruler in their relationship, and they are the pawns. For her to reveal something to them, it's either too big for her to handle, or it involves all of them. Either way, we bring all three down with a one hit K.O. The meeting from before is still gonna happen, so you skanks better not fall asleep…" she said, looking at Raven, who stuck out her tongue.

"One time…I missed a T.S.A.C. meeting ONE time. And it was only about the dumb website." She drawled.

"'T.S.A.C.'? What's that?" Danny asked, curiously.

"Uhm, no! Raven, you're saying it wrong! It's Tee-ess-ay-cee. …It's…erm…Cambodian…for 'friendship'…and…yeah." Sam finished lamely. "Jazz taught us."

"Oh. I didn't know you knew Cambodian." Danny raised an eyebrow and turned to his sister.

"Yes, well that is what makes our relationship thrive. The love, the passion, the surprises…" Jazz grinned, glaring at Raven over Danny's head.

"Okay…gonna pretend that didn't sound incestual…" Emma muttered loudly.

"Uh, eww! And there's no such word!" Jazz snapped. Emma scoffed and rolled her eyes. "There is now…"

The argument was cut short by Mrs. Restivez timidly walking in, tightly gripping Ashley by the arm (who was currently talking to her sock puppet friend about rainbows and stingy Mexican leprechauns) clearing her throat.

Mrs. Restivez was a short, somewhat clueless woman who'd married into a Spanish speaking family. Ever since one of the usual Spanish teachers, Mrs. Reamo had been out on maternity leave at the end of the last year, she had been the substitute.

She was gullible, whiny, and it was quite obvious that she'd grown up a brat, since half of the lessons were spent talking about her 'Daddy and Mumma', which got to be quite annoying after the first few days. So annoying in fact that Sam transferred into German and Emma into French the next year.

"Pardon me, Samantha dear," she began, throwing a worried and quite frightened look behind her at the blonde girl. "I believe that there is something terribly and horribly wrong with your sister."

Sam gave her a sarcastic look and asked, "What was your first clue, the hair? Ugh. I'll take it from here."

Sam got up, waved the spineless substitute teacher away with her hand and pushed Ashley down on her butt in front of her. "Sit. Good girl, Ashley." Sam patted her nose, and Ashley nipped at it and glared. Sam glared back. Sweet revenge.

"No, Ashley! NO. You do NOT bite. No-no. That is a big no-no." Sam chastised. The snickers and quiet laughter behind her was beginning to get louder.

"_Mr. Wallace-Heipelstiemer the third and Ashley are not pleased." _The 'sock puppet' said in a hollow and creepy voice. Sam fought off a laugh and kept her jaw firm, in fear that she'd begin to join those behind her.

"Well, Sam is not happy with you either, especially YOU Mr. Wallace-Heipelstiemer the third. You KNOW how Ashley gets with out her Med-Meds." Sam glared angrily at the poor unassuming sock.

"'Med-Meds? What exactly are those?" Mrs. Restivez asked, seeming suspiciously closer to the door than she had moments before.

"The medicine! Eight pills a day keep the crazies away! Har-har-har!" Mr. Wallace-Heipelstiemer the third laughed, sounding like a sick walrus.

That is what did the girls plus Danny in. They started laughing hysterically, falling off the couches, and Annica began to cry a little. Ms. Restivez so vexed by what was happening barely noticed their laughter, and the fact that there was a boy in the girls' Common Area.

"Guys," Sam cried, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice, "Ashley's condition is no laughing matter! Now here, take this." Sam looked down at Ashley again and shoved a white pill into her mouth that she seemingly seemed to pull out of nowhere.

"Swallow." She instructed.

Ashley did so and Sam looked up at the woman who was again, much closer to the door. "I've got it. Thank you so much for bringing her over here. I really appreciate it." Sam smiled sweetly, lying through her teeth.

"Yes…of course. Wait…is that gentleman supposed to be—" Raven cut her off.

"He's not a gentleman, ma'am. He's a drag queen, so it's okay." Mrs. Restivez nodded and left, more confused than when she'd entered.

The gang erupted into laughter once again, Sam and Ashley joining in.

"Did you just drug your sister?" Raven laughed.

"Haha. No. It was a tic-tac." Sam shook the plastic container in her pocket and the sound of tic-tacs jumbling around was heard. This only added to the hilarity.

In their laughter, the group had moved all around, Annica ending up by the window in peals of laughter. Suddenly her laughter was cut short.

"Hey guys…I think we might have to cut the schemes on Preppy Paul for now…"

Everyone looked over at her, some slight chuckles still being uttered.

"Why?" Sam asked. Roxie, Jazz, and Raven got up form their various places to come see what she was talking about.

"Because…the mayor's outside with Mr. Lancer…and your mom." Jazz said, her voice deathly quiet.

Ashley and Sam looked at each other. A visit from their mother could only mean one thing.

Trouble. And lots of it, especially since she was alone.

"Cool, your mom's here. But why's she with the mayor?" Emma asked, glancing at Danny as he muttered something along the lines of 'I hate the mayor…'

"No idea, but this isn't 'cool' okay. Our mom is a lot like meatloaf, except for the fact that Pamela is _always_ cold and she's dish best served NEVER...and I've never seen meatloaf fire a maid, berate all four daughters at once, and apply mascara." Ashley declared swiftly.

"She's right, especially about the berating part...but I guess there's only one stupid thing to do now." Sam sighed, getting up.

"And what's that?" Roxie asked her.

"We go and see what she wants." Sam answered.

Everyone gave noncommittal sounds and followed Sam and Ashley out of the room, not realizing that they were being watched. Danny felt a cool sensation up his spine and whipped his head towards the window, but nothing was there.

It wasn't until they got to the staircase that Annica put her middle and index fingers on her temple and declared that she a headache.

It wouldn't be until they got down the stairs that the girls realized how much more of a game than The Secret Assignment Game they would be getting into.


	12. The Innocence Found In Hard Times

Okay, here's the twelfth chapter revision, another fun chapter to write, and a highly anticipated chapter at that. Yay.

Enjoy,

Keyarrah

* * *

There was a soft knock on the door before it opened, revealing a worried looking Danny. He looked down at Sam, who lay on her bed staring at the ceiling; her tear streaked face holding no expression that Danny could read.

They stayed in those positions for almost a minute before Danny finally cleared is throat, causing Sam to glance at him momentarily before glancing back at the ceiling.

"I knocked…but you didn't answer…so I figured—" Sam cut him off with a prompt nod, still not looking at him.

"It's fine." She answered.

There was another moment of silence and Danny gave a sigh. It was obvious she wouldn't be volunteering anything on the conversation front, so it would be up to him to start the conversation and hopefully get her to talk. He hated this Sam. She wasn't smiling, laughing, and her cheeks weren't that flushed color that he'd seen them become every once in awhile. Was it because of what Ashley said? Did she really like him?

He pushed that thought out of his mind. That would lead him once again to wondering whether or not _he_ liked _her_ and that was not something he was ready to think about quite yet.

"Your friends…" He trailed off, not sure exactly what to say about them.

"Are worried sick," She filled in. "I know. That's why they sent you up here. They also know that they shouldn't be. They know I need time alone."

Danny looked to the side, embarrassed. Was that her way of telling him to get lost? He hoped not.

"They didn't exactly send me up. I kinda came on my own. I was worried too." This statement caused Sam to fully look at him. "So, since you need time alone…I guess I'll see you later then?"

"No." Sam answered, stopping him quietly. "I need time alone…but you're half ghost…so technically you would only be half here with me. I could use a little bit of half company. Not whole. Just half…" Her voice never left its soft octave and her amethyst eyes bore into his blue ones.

"Yeah. H-half company. I can do that." Danny nodded, re-closing the door that he'd opened upon his almost exit.

"Sit with me?" Sam asked, her pleading eyes giving away her calm demeanor.

"Yeah." Danny nodded again, sitting next to her on the dark blue comforter. His fingers ran over the embedded silk stars. They were a pale, milky, cream color, with little open-mouthed black lipstick prints on each one, and a large one in the middle where the largest star was.

"Pretty." He remarked.

"Mm. Yeah. My grandma made it for me. Well, I helped. I sewed a lot of the stars and threaded each one of the kisses myself." Sam too, traced over one. She moved her hand with a slight jolt when their fingers touched.

"So…sorry for eavesdropping back there. You know, with your mom?" Danny apologized. Sam gave a small smile and a breathy sigh. "It's fine." She accepted.

Yet another silence filled the room, though it was much more at ease this time around.

"So now you know." Sam said, her voice taking on a much more sullen tone. She stared at the beautiful stars on the comforter. It reminded her of the night sky…Danny flying through the night sky. She closed her eyes for a moment and envisioned him soaring through a crisp dark night with nothing but the stars twinkling as his silvery-white locks fluttered in the breeze.

"Now I know what?" Danny asked.

Sam looked back up at him. "About my mother and how the only 'Mother Of The Year' award she'll ever receive will be from the Stepford Wives. She maintains perfection oh-so-well, as you saw."

Danny gave her a sympathetic smile and thought back to what he'd seen.

He'd followed the girls down the stairs and listened to the bickering which he'd learned was just they way that they showed each other that they cared.

"So, have you met the new freshman, Ashley?" Jazz asked Ashley who was fixing herself as they neared the first floor.

"No. Who?" Ashley asked, hopping up and down trying not to break her neck as she put her sock back on. This was hard since she was still holding a crutch in her hand. She didn't need the crutch as much anymore, and the nurse in the new makeshift infirmary said that in a couple of days that she'd be ready to walk freely again.

"Uhm…let me see…her name was Jackie…no…Jacie…no…oh! Jancey! Jancey Vecelli. She's really nice. She's fifteen, she's got these really gorgeous green eyes, chocolate brown hair, she's Italian, obviously likes old movies because she talks about them a lot, and she seems really smart." Jazz smiled.

"Uh, know her personal file much?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow. Roxie snorted. "Ooh. Jazzie's got a girl crush!" she laughed.

"Ew! Shut up! No, I got her from Placements just like I got Ashley, and when I was showing her to her class we got to talk." Jazz glared defensively.

"Whatever you say." Roxie hummed, making Annica laugh. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Shut up. They're down the hall."

Sure enough the sound of heels click-clacking on the hard floors was heard as Pamela Manson came primly walking down the hall. One could say that she looked priggish even, with an 'I'm-_so_-much-better-than-you' expression crossing her features at every person who dared stare at her in her light cranberry Prada suit and matching handbag.

Her same colored heels seemed as if they would break the newly shined floors. Pamela's hair was held up in a neat, tight, sophisticated looking bun. She had her 'no-nonsense' face on too, that Sam had seen when she'd gone with her mother on business deals when she was younger.

Deciding not to wait too long, she spoke up.

"Mom?" she asked loudly. Pamela looked up from the compact that she'd just pulled out of her purse to see her daughters and six other teenagers that she vaguely, if not at all, remembered.

"Samantha, Ashley. Good." Pamela nodded. "I was just going to send down for you. Come. Get your things."

"Are we going on a trip? How much stuff do we need to bring? Where are we going?" Ashley asked.

Pamela looked down at her youngest daughter for a moment before laughing. "Ashley, dear. Don't be silly. You need _all_ of your 'things'. Not 'stuff', Ashley. Improper. Now come on and hurry. I've got Horencio in the limousine outside and the engine's running. Gas prices are sheer murder these days, and I am not wasting valuable shopping and household essential money on a disgusting thing like gasoline. Now come on, and hurry while I talk with the other grownups."

Sam glared at her mother in annoyance for a moment before regaining her cool.

"Mom, I—" Sam looked affronted as her mother cut her off.

"No sass, Samantha. Do as you are told." She was reprimanded.

"_Why_ will we be needing all of our '_things_'? **Where** are we going? And why won't you answer us?" she asked coolly.

There was a stare-off between Pamela and Sam before Pamela huffed.

"I am getting you _**out**_ of this wretched place. Now, look at that! You've wasted time! I'm going in here," Pamela pointed at Mr. Lancer's office showing off her new and expensive French manicure. "and when I come back from speaking with Mr. Lancer and Mayor Masters, I'd better see two little Mansons sitting on that bench over there. I might as well go with you to help you two pack, seeing as you're obviously going to take half a century…"

Pamela walked away and into the office and Sam let out a growl. She hated when her mother talked over her. She hated it even more when she talked down to her. Did her father know about this? Obviously not or he'd be with her to stop her from doing whatever it was that she called herself doing. Ooh…she could just choke that woman.

She was taking her away from everything. From her friends…her memories…her…Danny… Sam felt something in her throat, but pushed it down and began to tap her foot angrily as rage consumed her. Ashley, sensing this, reached up to Sam, who was a little taller than herself, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll meet up with you guys later." Ashley said to the others.

Jazz nodded as everyone but Danny, who was stone silent, protested. Ashley turned back around and began to attempt to comfort her older sister as they made their way to the bench their mother had instructed they sit on.

If they would have kept looking in the others' direction they would have noticed Jazz pull them into a corner saying that it was rude to stay when Sam and Ashley would have preferred that they leave, but it was highly unethical for them not to know what was to become of the two of them until later.

(Roxie rolled her eyes and said, "If in smart people language you're saying we don't wanna piss them off, but we do need to know what's going on, so we're gonna eavesdrop, I get it.")

Through the door, Sam and Ashley could hear what was going on. They were both glad that there were no loud noises allowed in that hallway due to it being an administrative hallway where all of the high members of the school board were.

It was said that they needed peace and quiet to keep the school running smoothly, but everyone knew it was because the noise made it hard for the secretaries to watch their soaps.

"Mrs. Manson, please be reasonable." Mr. Lancer asked of her calmly.

Danny and the others couldn't hear anything, but could guess the context of what was being said from the expressions on Sam and Ashley's faces.

"I_** am**_ being reasonable. Unreasonable would be pressing charges for reckless endangerment of my children. Now, you have to understand. Ghosts attacked this school. My children reside in this school.

"There were _damages_, Mr. Lancer. Now, how does that make it all seem? I'll tell you. Unsafe. I cannot have my daughters in such an unsafe environment." Pamela explained stiffly.

"Mrs. Manson…Pamela! Please reconsider. Your family is one of the most prestigious families here at Amity," Mrs. Manson nodded and interrupted that she knew that fact already. Mr. Lancer withheld a comment and continued,

"And this has never happened in all of my years as Vice-Principal. Now, I've talked it over with Principal Ishyama, and the superintendents and everyone in the school board has been investigating and looking into this, and finding new ways to make our school safer.

"As for the damages, they are almost completely good as new. This has never happened before, and it never will happen again." Mr. Lancer said, looking over at her from his desk.

Ashley gave a sigh.

"That, Mr. Lancer, is precisely what you said after the last incident with one of my daughters."

Sam sunk down in the bench. "Friggin' cupcakes…"

"Now, I assure **you** that another incident like this will never happen again because I will not be giving it a chance to. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to Milan to board and daughters to drop off at our home. I will still pay for this month's school bill, but not a dime nor penny more." Pamela walked out, adjusting her Gucci phone case that rest on her hip.

As Pamela walked out, neither Sam or Ashley looked to acknowledge her, and she seemed rather indifferent to the fact.

"Now come. Which way to your dorms?" Pamela asked, walking near the stairwells. Finally, before she was almost near the first step, Ashley looked up angrily and called,

"I don't know why you even pretend to give a damn!"

Her statement caused Pamela to wheel around on her heels, and stare at her, hawk-eyed.

"_Watch your mouth_." She scolded evenly. "Now, Ashley, I do not have time for insolence, nor do I have patience for disobedience, OR your little rebellious phases. Now let's go. I am sorry that you _**CANNOT**_ be off doing whatever you should be doing at this very moment, that is too BAD. WE ARE LEAVING."

It was then that Sam looked up from the tile on the floor that she'd chosen to stare at intently. She scoffed in disbelief.

"You don't even know. You don't even know where your daughter's supposed to be? Do you even know where I'm supposed to be? Do you even care?" Sam asked, angrily. The fact that her voice cracked a little only added to her aggression.

Whatever was in her throat was returning. Where her friends hid behind a statue of Napoleon (she and Ashley had noticed them right before Pamela came out, but said nothing) they grew worried.

Danny especially. He hated to see her upset…but why was that? He shook his head and focused back on what was happening.

"Samantha! Ashley! My word, you two are being RIDICULOUS! I am far too busy to trail behind you two everyday—" Sam cut her off, furiously.

"And far too busy for your own kids so you drop them off here? Do we really wanna play that game, Mom? Do we really want to go through how your schedule has always been put first before your family? How, as soon as your kids start to grow up from under your shadow, you ship them off to boarding school? Melissa, Laurielle, me, and now Ashley?

"It's been three weeks, Mother! THREE WEEKS, since the ghost attack, and you're just coming now?" Sam was beginning to sound hysterical, but she really didn't care.

Danny stepped out from behind the statue a little, and was more visible than the others.

"Samantha, that is E-NOUGH! I have had ENOUGH!" Pamela bellowed.

"AND SO HAVE I!" Sam screamed back, fresh tears streaming down her face.

Her amethyst eyes shone defiantly. Unable to help herself, Ashley felt a few of her own tears slip.

"Ashley could be **DEAD**! **I** could have been writhing on the floor barely breathing, and where would YOU have been? Tanning on some damned cabana in BOCA! Stop trying to mother us when it's convenient!" Sam spat venomously, moving closer to her mother so they stood eye to eye.

Pamela stood stone-faced, looking into the angrily shining eyes of her heavily breathing daughter. She opened her mouth, and then closed it.

"Samantha…Elizabeth…Manson…" she said in awe.

"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK LIKE THAT TO ME! I AM YOUR MOTHER! AND I AM A DAMNED GOOD MOTHER AT THAT! ALL THE TIME I SPEND IS FOR YOU! ALL OF THIS WORK! ALL OF THE TRAVEL! AND THEN WHEN I TRY TO RELAX A BIT MYSELF I GET CRITICIZED?! NO! IT DOES **NOT** WORK LIKE THAT, DAUGHTER OF MINE. AND I'LL TELL YOU ANOTHER-" Sam cut her off yet again, she was deathly quiet, with the sound of unshed tears in her voice.

"_You…are…so…__**full of it**_." Sam turned around to stomp off and saw Danny.

She hesitated for a moment, but brushed right pass him, knowing, or at least hoping that he'd understand.

Pamela stood there and watched her daughter go.

"Ashley?" Pamela questioned. No words were exchanged as Ashley's blue eyes met with her mother's emerald colored ones. They both knew what the question was.

"Ashley Christine?" Pamela questioned, feeling herself tear up slightly.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Manson," Ashley answered her quietly, "You've got a plane to catch, just like I have a sister to."

Ashley nodded to the gang in the direction of her sister, Annica grabbed her crutch and Ashley swung an arm around her shoulders as they hopped up the stairs together. Everyone else followed them up except Danny, who stood, staring at Mrs. Manson, who stared back at him.

Peering out of his door, not wanting to disturb them was Mr. Lancer. Seeing Pamela finally alone, he emerged from his office.

"Oh. Mrs. Manson. I thought that I'd heard your voice. Was there anything else that you needed?" he questioned. Pamela cleared her throat and turned around to him, putting on a happy face and ignoring the boy behind her.

"Yes. Actually, Mr. Lancer, there is. Might I enquire my daughters' schedules?" she asked.

Mr. Lancer looked at her quizzically for a moment before nodding and escorting her back into his office. It was understood. Sam and Ashley weren't going anywhere.

It was then that Mr. Lancer peered back outside the door,

"It's a nice Friday morning, with no classes starting until next week, Mr. Fenton. Do tell me that you've something more to do than to loiter around administrative offices."

Danny nodded and ran up the stairs. He then snuck back into the common area where he'd met up with the others, who told him that Sam had gone straight up to her room and none of them were going to bother her. They'd all sensed that she'd want to be alone.

Danny nodded, and promised that if she did, he'd leave her alone and come back down the stairs.

It was then that he'd knocked.

"It's no big deal." Danny answered her finally. Sam gave another sigh, and then a laugh.

"You're just saying that, but thanks. It means a lot that you came up here." Sam told him. Danny sent her a smile that she thought to be simply dazzling.

"Well, I don't do this for just anyone. You're special, Sam." Danny said, instinctively leaning in closer to her.

Sam felt the familiar feeling of her heart beginning to race…but wait…was their just grass on her face again? Wait! No! She hadn't been outside for weeks…oh-my…he was going to kiss her.

"How special?" Sam asked, feeling his breath on her face. Her eye lashes fluttered shut for a moment, waiting to hear his answer.

"This special." Danny answered, closing the space in between them. Their lips met sweetly, and kept that way. Sam broke away first.

"I think I might like you, Mr. Fenton." Sam smiled, moving her hair out of her face. Danny gave a slight chuckle.

"Good. Because I know for a fact that I like you, Miss. Manson." Danny answered kissing her again.

This one lasted a little longer than the other, and it was Danny who moved away first this time.

"I've got a really good idea, and it involves you being my girlfriend." Danny told her, reaching for her hand.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Sam questioned. She didn't exactly need anymore 'Paulina' sized surprises.

Danny grinned. "I don't know…am I?"

Sam smirked. "I don't know…I mean, you've got quite the track record with girlfriends. I mean _**Paulina**_?" she asked incredulously.

"I'm not so sure I want to be on that list. I mean, I know it's overplayed but Avril Lavigne had it right with 'Girlfriend'. And, then there are the rumors. Do we really want to confirm them and-" Danny put a hand over her mouth and pressed his forehead to hers.

"Just…say…yes." He laughed.

"Yes." Sam replied, through his fingers.

For their third kiss, it was Sam who initiated it. Of course this would have to be the time when Raven burst through the door and squealed.

"I _TOLD_ YOU! I _**TOLD**_YOU!!" she screamed behind her. "THEY'RE GOING AT IT!" The sound of heavy footsteps were heard, and Raven was pushed out of the way. Sam felt like dying, and if it weren't for the grip that Danny had on Sam's hand, he probably would have phased through the bed.

"Well…somebody's feeling better. What do you know, a good snog does cure all. Tell me, was it like when Harry Potter kissed Ho-…I mean Cho Chang? Was it wet?" Emma asked, beaming with happiness.

Ashley swatted her out of the way as she hobbled up the last step. Maybe she'd taken her last performance in the hall a bit too far…nah. She loved her sock friend.

"Just what do you two think you are doing?" Ashley asked, a gross expression on her face.

"Confirming the rumors." Danny said, grinning. Sam snickered.

Ashley mock-gagged.

"I mean what do you think you're doing on MY bed?!" Ashley groaned.

Sam looked at her oddly. "This isn't your bed. I just took back my comforter." Sam answered.

Ashley looked blankly for a moment.

"Oh…carry on then." Ashley shrugged.

Jazz shook her head furiously. "NO!! Danny! Leave! Out-out-out! We have girl business to attend to. We want details, Manson. But please, do try to remember that we are talking about my brother here." Sam laughed loudly.

"Right. Okay, fine. I know when I'm not welcome." Danny kissed Sam on the cheek earning him a loud chorus of "AWW!" and he turned to Roxie, who shook her head.

"Oh, no, buddy. This isn't buy one get one free, so don't you go looking for a 'BOGO' where there ain't one." she said.

Danny gave her a weird look. "You wanted me to tell Tucker something?" he asked.

Roxie then slapped her head in remembrance.

"Oh, yeah! Tell him he's helping me pick out my dress tomorrow—_I hate dresses_—for the stupid dance—_I hate dances_—that we're going to as…whatever it is we're going as." Roxie said, not wanting to get into that confusion again.

"Okay." Danny nodded. He kissed Sam goodbye again before he was forcefully pushed out of the room.

"Okay, Manson," Annica said. "_**SPILL YOUR GUTS**_!"

Sam fell back onto the bed, and uncharacteristically kicked her legs up and squealed before going into what happened.

"Okay, so first he came up here and…—"

Danny got back to his own dorm to find Tucker eating pizza and playing a video game. Tucker looked up, greeted his best friend and slid the box with the last piece over to Danny. Danny took it, and sat down and took the offered controller his friend was handing him.

"Oh. You got a date tomorrow with Roxie." Danny told him. Tucker grinned.

"Cool. Ah. Crap! That zombie came out of nowhere. What's the cheat for that blaster gun again?"

"Triangle, Triangle, Left, Square, Z." Danny told him, still grinning from before as he took a bite of his pizza and sat in back down in the box.

"Ah! Gotcha! YEAH MAN!…So what are you so happy about?" Tucker asked, fidgeting with his controller.

"I've got a girlfriend." Tucker grinned back at him.

"Ahh. Would it happen to be a certain purple eyed girl?"

"Amethyst." Danny corrected for about the hundredth time.

"So I've heard. So, you kiss her?" Tucker asked, blasting away a closet demon.

"Yep." Danny told him, acting as his backup for the Head Vampire that he knew was gonna pop up out of the shoebox.

"Tongue?" Tucker questioned. Danny looked at him and rolled his eyes. "A little." He answered, anyway.

"Cool." Tucker nodded. "You gonna finish that?" Tucker asked, glancing at his half eaten pizza. Danny slid it back over to him and Tucker chowed down.

To any girl listening to their conversation that wouldn't have been anywhere near enough description.

Speaking of which…

"—…and then you guys came." Sam finally finished explaining.

"He called you _special_…aww…as long it's not like 'Special Ed', then aww…" Emma giggled.

Roxie rolled her eyes. "Gah. Enough gushing, please. It was cute, okay, now we won't have to listen to you go on and on about him."

Annica scoffed. "Please. Now it'll be even WORSE." She teased.

Everyone laughed.

"You know, now, that you two are finally together, you could ask him for something." Raven smirked.

"Like what?" Sam asked, warily.

"His boxers!" Raven said, causing the others to shriek.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Ugh! Like I really wanna think about how Sam's going to get my brother's UNDERWEAR!" Jazz cried, banging her head on the bed to get the image out, and accidentally hitting the radio.

Everlife's "Go Figure" began to play.

"I love this song!" Ashley cried. Sam agreed.

"Isn't that from that movie?" Roxie asked.

Ashley nodded and grabbed a brush and began to sing into it.

_**Just when you learned the game of life  
All the rules change overnight  
Whoa, whoa go figure**_

Jazz laughed and joined in while shaking her hair wildly, causing the others to burst out laughing.

_**You have a dream  
You wanna be  
The center of the story  
Just when you think it's gone  
You find a way to keep it going on**_

"Come on, Sam!" Jazz laughed.

_  
__**Sometimes you fall before you fly  
Sometimes you laugh when you should cry  
Go figure  
When things got messed up  
You wanted to give up  
Nothing seemed right but turned out fine  
Go figure, go figure  
Whoa, whoa**_

They all pulled up the others except for Roxie who refused to budge watching them jump, dance, and sing like idiots.

_**Not everything is what it seems  
There's never just one meaning  
When life starts making sense  
The world is upside down again**_

Emma belted it out in a crazy voice causing Roxie to start to laugh again, and she finally allowed herself to be pulled up.

_  
__**Sometimes you fall before you fly  
Sometimes you laugh when you should cry  
Go figure, go figure  
When things got messed up  
You wanted to give up  
Nothing seemed right but turned out fine  
Go figure, go figure**_

_**Whoa, whoa, go figure  
Whoa, whoa**_

Nothing from earlier mattered to them just then. They were just a bunch of girls hanging out, singing along with the radio.

_  
__**Did you really think your destiny was a one way street  
You gotta be ready for anything  
Just set your whole life free, yeah**_

The girls were so busy singing they didn't notice the figure in the window by Ashley's bed watching them intently.

_**Sometimes you fall before you fly  
Sometimes you laugh when you should cry  
Go figure, go figure  
When things got messed up  
You wanted to give up  
Nothing seemed right but turned out fine  
Go figure, go figure**_

Sam grabbed the brush from Ashley as Annica screamed, "SOLO!!"

_**Sometimes you fall before you fly  
Sometimes you laugh when you should cry  
Go figure  
When things got messed up  
You wanted to give up  
Nothing seemed right but turned out fine yeah, yeah  
Go figure, go figure**_

The ghost left to go report back to Vlad.

"Soon, girls. Soon." It thought.

* * *

_**I love that song, and I highly suggest it! **_

I hope you all enjoyed the revision. The only thing I changed was Danny's little…proposal, if you want to call it that.


	13. The Addition To The Lightening Load

Hey all

Hey guys, this is yet another revision! See, I can revise really fast…it's just the updating that's got me a little…eh. Haha. This is the second assignment that is completed, and it's Jazz's turn this time around.

Enjoy,

Keyarrah

"I wish classes would just start already…stupid Lancer…stupid Vlad…" Jazz muttered to herself irritably.

It was 5:32 in the morning, and even though classes were delayed for yet another week, Jazz couldn't shake her morning rituals. Her first daily ritual being to wake up at 5:00 in the morning, even though classes started at 9:00, was the one bothering her at the moment.

She'd woken up at 5:00 only to begrudgingly realize that there was no class. She tried her hardest to get back to sleep, but of course, as it always is, when you're supposed to wake up, all you want to do is sleep; when you're not supposed to wake up, or realize that you don't have to anymore, all you want to do is get up and do something. Jazz was deeply annoyed.

She trudged through the halls with the red and silver flashlight that Danny didn't know that she'd nicked from him earlier that week, when all of this sleeping nonsense had started.

He'd most likely throw a fit, but then again, she was older what could he do? She winced at the image in her head of being dropped thousands of feet over the school.

"Stupid school…stupid dark halls…stupid Danny…stupid Sam…stupid Danny and Sam always groping at one another…" she paused briefly when she realized that that had nothing to do with anything, but was still something that gave her the creepy-crawlies just thinking about.

She had an urge to gag when she innocently and unsuspectingly went into Danny's dorm to ask him if he'd gotten a phone call from their parents that day as she had, when BOOM! There they were. All over each other. Swapping spit like banshees. Of course they leapt off of each other like the other was on fire.

"H-hey Jazz. You need something?" Danny asked, fixing his hair. Jazz had simply rolled her eyes, and sent Sam a look.

"Yeah," she's answered. "A hose." With that she had grabbed the flashlight and left the two to their blushing and only God knew what else. What ever happened to the bashfulness?

Her self-considered disturbing thoughts were interrupted by a 'crash' and a rather loud uttering of a certain 'F' bomb.

Jazz gasped in surprise of not being the only one in the hallway.

"Hello?" She shone the light right into the face of her intruder.

"Augh! Hey! What the freaking hell! What gives?!" a disgruntled and sleepy Dash Baxter snapped. Jazz pointed the flashlight back down to the cold, hard floor where it had been moments before, and scoffed.

"Baxter. What are you doing here?" she asked, giving Dash what was most likely an angry look. He really couldn't tell since 1.) It was dark, and 2.) He'd just been practically blinded by her flashlight. She could have looked constipated for all he knew.

"Let's see…I'm in a hallway…in my school…hmm. Tough one." He said, rolling her eyes. Jazz glared at him and shone the light in his eyes again, earning another startling yell.

"Hey! Who's out here?!" a gruff voice called. Crap. Jazz had forgotten. They were right by the teacher's quarters. Thinking about where they were, she guessed they were right outside Lancer's room.

"Quick." She hissed. "Hurry up." She dragged Dash off, ignoring his struggle, shoved him into the old Girls' Lavatory.

"I know I'm irresistible, but a bathroom?" Dash questioned, his voice deadpan.

"Don't flatter yourself, _Dashton_. I'd rather die." Jazz glared. "Now shut up. Lancer's out there. Did you or did you not just hear? Oh, I'm sorry. The jock grease from your miniscule sized brain must have oozed into your ears."

Dash seemed not to be paying attention. He was staring at her, but seemed not to be paying attention to what she was saying.

"Hello…_HELLO_? Are you even paying attention to me?" She cleared her throat impatiently and finally caught his attention.

"…There's a duck on your boob." Dash muttered in a low tone.

Jazz, alarmed, looked down and finally realized that she was still in her duck pajamas, which consisted of a flimsy v-neck, spaghetti strap duck top and duck shorts with the word "QUACKERS" on the back. Even worse was the fact that Dash was only in Amity school sweatpants, and socks. The school was always kept warm since the stone, no matter how hot it always seemed to be outside, trapped in the cold.

Not only was she cursing the school, she was now cursing the snow, wishing it was colder, so that she would have left the room dressed like an Eskimo. After another moment of silence she snapped,

"STOP LOOKING!" She shone the flashlight into his eyes for the third time and he withheld a loud yell.

"How…many…times are you…going…to…DO THAT?!" Dash hissed furiously.

Jazz smirked at him. "Oops. It slipped." Her smirk faded as he clenched his jaw.

She glared up at him defiantly. He towered over her 5'6 frame at 5'9, and as she noticed this, she kept to the fiery look in her eyes.

"Oh, like you don't deserve it. I hope your eye falls out. That's what you get for ogling, perv." She snapped testily. Dash returned the look.

"What the hell did I do to you, Fenton?" Dash asked. Jazz looked ready to hit him.

"What did you do to me?" Jazz asked incredulously. "_WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME? I'D BE HAPPY TO REMIND YOU, YOU FREAKING JERK._" She hissed, her eyes gleaming with the look of murder.

"You embarrassed my best friend with a total lie, got pissed drunk to celebrate it, got into a fight with my brother, hit me in the face, and all through it all, not ONCE did you feel sorry, or voice anything feeling anywhere NEAR apologetic!" Jazz was nearly screaming at him now.

"I'll have you know," Dash said haughtily, "My birthday was three days ago. I'm eighteen now. I've matured a lot since then."

Jazz rolled her eyes, sickened at the thought of what he'd just said. "Ooh, eighteen. Does that mean you've finally gone through puberty?"

Dash looked ready to say something when Jazz cut him off, continuing her tirade from before.

"And the only time I heard you say 'sorry' was to Sophia Baxter, but it's obvious that THAT was only because she's your mother!" Jazz screamed, no longer caring about where they were, or who might hear.

Dash stared at her ashen-faced. "…H-How did you know she was my mother?" Jazz, for a millisecond mirrored the look on Dash's face before catching herself.

"Who wouldn't know? Of course, those who don't are the idiots who don't realize that you look exactly alike, you have the same blonde hair, and that uhm…DUH, last name." Jazz said, pursing her lips. "The only thing that didn't make as much sense was the fact that you weren't taken off of the football team after the whole thing with Sam."

Jazz made herself comfortable on the old sink, crossing her legs and looking at him thoughtfully.

"But of course," she continued. "It makes perfect sense seeing as the coach is your father."

Dash advanced towards her and she, suddenly more afraid, backed up on the sink until the faucet was uncomfortably prodding her in the back. Finally looking into his eyes, (she had been determinedly staring everywhere on him but…well…not EVERYWHERE…) she noticed that the look in his eyes was not one of a raging beast that was about to murder her in an old Girls' Room, but one of a scared, confused, and upset teenage boy who had no idea what to do.

"You…you're not going to tell…are you, Jazmine? Please, Jazz?"

Jazz stared into Dash's eyes, and for the first time that morning she saw a person, not just an ultra jock. And…he had called her Jazz. He hadn't called her Fenton, or Danny's sister, or Red. He'd actually called her by her name. Keeping the gaze with Dash as he leaned in closer anticipating her answer, she whispered,

"Yeah. I won't tell a soul."

The next thing she knew, she and Dash Baxter were merely centimeters apart. Her fingers had found their way into his hair. Just as their lips were about to touch, the sink under her crumbled under her weight, and had fallen out of the wall, crashing to the ground, and taking Jazz down with it. Jazz though, did not go down without something.

In a drastic attempt to keep her balance, her fingers that were in Dash's hair, ripped out a lock of hair from his scalp.

It was like a train-wreck.

Jazz fell, Dash screamed out in pain, the sink clattered, all hell broke loose, and both of them were faced with the realization of what they had almost done. Jazz, in horror bolted out of the bathroom, leaving Dash in there alone, holding his scalp wincing.

It wasn't until Jazz had run back to her dorm, and was leaning against the door that she realized what was in her hand: a lock of Dash's hair. She banged her head against the door as the sun began to rise in the large window near the very end of the hall.

Her assignment was complete. Everything in her life would begin to make sense again…or would it just get more complicated now?

Something was on top of her. Something big and bulky. It was heavy…and oh-no…it was breathing.

'Crap…' Sam thought, still half asleep. 'Please don't be…PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEEEEASE DON'T BE…"

"HAPPY ALMOST VALENTINE'S DAY, SAMMY!" a loud, obnoxious voice screamed.

The sound seemed to bounce off of the walls and back through Sam's head again, and again, it's annoying ring trying to bust her eardrums and break her skull.

Sam groaned, and attempted to turn over on her side to ignore her sister who was currently bouncing up and down like a little blonde monkey, but found that her sister had a tight grip on the covers, causing Sam to be unable to move. All she could do was put a pillow over her head. Which she gladly did.

"Ge'awh." Sam grumbled.

"What was that sunshine?" Ashley asked, bouncing harder, her hair flopping all over the place. It was one day until the day of LOVE! How could Sam be _**sleeping**_?

"GET OFF." Sam repeated, more clearly, resulting in a tutting sound from Ashley.

Sam growled at her sister viciously, and Ashley, oblivious to the aggressive behavior below her, continued. "Fine. Don't get up. Miss the festivities."

Sam peeked out an amethyst eye at her sister in curiosity. "What?"

"Yep. Ashley saw fliers downstairs when she went to go get a Valentine's Day bagel. They are sooo CUUTE! All tan and crispy with the pink cream cheese! It was like a Paris Hilton bagel…but it was yummy so I ate it anyway. It's like…how do they DO that. It is so amazing how-"

"…Ashley…SHUT UP. Now, go back to the part about the stupid fliers." Sam instructed, squiggling to get up from under her sister. For such a scrawny little thing, the girl had grip!

"What? Oh! Yeah. They're downstairs. Something about 'Spooks-B-Good' or some junk. It's to make us kids not so scared of ghosts, by bringing Halloween early…or late. Whichever. Anyway, it's February 15, so we have to get our costumes by February 14th, so we really need to hurry, and you need to get dressed, so yeah! UP! UP! UP!" Ashley replied, rolling her eyes at her sister as she bounced harder.

"…Isn't today February 13th?" Sam asked, finally pushing Ashley off of her and onto the floor. Ashley nodded, and rubbed her butt at the same time. "Then…it's tomorrow, you dinkus!" Sam snapped, throwing a pillow at her sister who laughed manically.

"Yessss, dear sister. I knooow. But the mad rush is gonna be crazy. Therefore, we need to hurry! Now! Think about it. It's Valentine's Day tomorrow. Everybody and their grandma is gonna be out there!" Ashley cried.

Sam gave her a blank look. "The only grandma I know that would ever go along with something like this…is ours."

"Come on Sammy! Sammy! Sammy-wammy-bo-bammy-fo-fee-fi-mo-" Sam interrupted her with a brusque glare. "Move. I gotta pee."

Just as she closed the door, Annica, Raven, Emma, Roxie, and Jazz burst into their dorm.

"COSTUUUUMES!" Roxie danced excitedly. Her erratic dance consisted of shaking her butt and touching her toes at the same time, while jumping around like she was playing hokey pokey. By the time she was done, everyone had basically had her butt in their faces.

"Uhm…INVASION OF THE PERSONAL BUBBLE, MUCH?" Emma asked, pushing her down. Roxie stuck out her tongue and remarked that she was just jealous.

Roused out of the bathroom by the noise, Sam raised an eyebrow, and stepped over her sister who was still on the floor. "Why are you people always in MY dorm?"

"_**Our**_ dorm." Ashley corrected. Sam glowered down at her. "_**MY**_ dorm." Sam countered, daring her to argue.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Anyway! Come on! We've got to get our costumes!" Annica said, excitedly. "We HAVE to beat the mad rush!"

Ashley gave Sam an "I-told-you-so" look.

"Augh. That reminds me. How are we supposed to get costumes anyway? It's not like we're allowed to go off of school grounds." Raven asked.

"Didn't you hear? Lancer gave us all permission. We call all go out to the Stratford Village not too far from here. Of course, school officials are gonna be all over the place, and they're doing a check at 9:00 PM in every room to make sure that everyone is back, but it should be fun. And Deagan's isn't that far, so we can eat there." Roxie answered. "It's open today, tomorrow, the fifteenth, and the sixteenth for that whole Mother's Love crap."

Sam groaned. She'd completely forgotten about that. Sam and Ashley shared a look of disdain.

"I don't want to go shopping…" Sam groaned. "I have things to do…"

The others all shared looks.

"Like what?" Jazz asked. "Smooch my brother?" Sam turned a violent shade of red.

"Nooo!" Raven grinned. "Like finishing her assignment!"

Jazz's eyes darted around for a moment, as if she just remembered something. "Oh. Speaking of which. Uhm…Emma. Here." She handed Emma something out of the back of her jeans pocket.

"Ew. What is it? Is it butt lint?" Emma asked, looking suspiciously at her after seeing where she got it.

"No, stupid. It's my assignment." She opened her hand to reveal a lock of golden blonde hair.

"No…way…" Annica whispered, looking at it. "Is that…?" Jazz nodded.

"DNA generously contributed from Mr. Baxter himself. There. I'm done."

"How generously?" Raven questioned.

Everyone looked at her oddly and Jazz looked away.

"So…anyone know what they want to be?" Sam asked, changing the subject.

"Something sunny. I hate this snow." Emma answered.

"Same here. I feel so 'bleh'. I want something a little girly." Sam and Roxie made faces at Jazz's comment.

"Vote three for a bit of color." Annica agreed. Roxie shook her head rapidly.

"No way. I want something _**dark**_. It'll be hot." Roxie informed them. "What about you, Ashley?"

"PIRATE!" Ashley roared, jumping up off of the floor from where Sam had left her, only to jump onto the bed with a night-mask hanging limply over one eye to be her makeshift eye-patch.

"AHOY, MATEY!" she roared just as loudly. Sam gave Ashley the look she _always_ gave Ashley.

"Why don't you '_ahoy_' yourself onto your OWN bed?" She suggested.

Ashley tutted at her and shook her head. "That made no sense!"

"_You_ make no sense!" Sam retorted. "Anyway…Raven, what about you?"

Raven looked indecisive for a moment. "I…really have no clue. Something traditional, I guess." She ignored Roxie's cry of "BOO! CLICHÉ! CLICHÉ!"

"You, Sam?"

Sam smiled a bit before shrugging. "I have an idea."


	14. The Things That Girls Do

Hi guys

Hey all,

Once again, I have revised! This revision was pretty easy, and I remember how excited I was for this chapter. I was excited because this is the first chapter containing a preview of the sequel, TSAC II! For those of you reading this for the first time, you're probably like, "…Wait, what? I'm still on Chapter Fourteen of the first one!"

A lot of you waited (or are waiting) to read TSAC II before you read the previews. Either way, the previews don't reveal much more than common knowledge about the sequel.

That's all for now!

Keyarrah

The girls walked down from the main gates of Amity looking around in awe. Sam, Emma, Raven, and Ashley were the only ones that had ever even seen real snow on the ground. Sam and Ashley had seen it when they'd flown to Aspen with their parents and Aunt Elaina, and Emma and Raven had both come from somewhere else besides California; Emma from England and Raven from Pennsylvania.

"This is so cool." Annica whispered, watching as the air seemed to dance around her words.

She blew a puff of air and smiled contently as it drifted off in front of her in a cool white form. Jazz did the same, and wondered if it was how Danny felt when his ghost sense went off. Jazz then just realized that she'd never talked to Danny about when or why his ghost sense went off right before Vlad's ghost attack. She'd only been asked to cover for him, so she had done so.

She also realized that she hadn't questioned Sam about what had happened, and what she knew…if she knew.

She was pretty sure that her younger best friend knew, though. Her eyes always seemed to light up when she saw Danny Phantom, or when she heard others talking about him.

Jazz had also picked up on the fact that Sam spoke very carefully when asked about Phantom, (seeing as everyone knew that she was the last one to see him on that fateful day) and how she'd defended him when others started heinous rumors that the ghost attack had been his entire fault.

"He saved my life and fought off the other ghost, idiots. If he was really evil, and if this was all just some elaborate _scheme_, DON'T YOU THINK I'D BE DEAD IN A CRATER?" Jazz recalled her snapping.

Jazz already knew that Sam was in love with Danny Fenton, that much was obvious and anyone with eyes could see that, even if Sam didn't realize it yet, but it made her feel a lot better to know that she felt the same for Phantom as well.

"So where we goin'?" Raven asked. "That costume boutique place?" Roxie shook her head.

"No freaking way. Everybody will be there; at least a trillion people will be pushing each other down and biting hangers off of the racks like lagoon beasts. No. If we do this, we do it right." The others all exchanged bemused glances.

Roxie hated shopping. Grocery, shoe, clothes, sports, and shoe shopping were just a few of the shopping trips that crossed her hate list. To see her this excited and dead serious about a shopping trip was more than a _**very**_ rare occurrence.

They dared not mention the subject in fear or ruining it. After all, the freedom they were currently being given was borrowed time.

"So where _**ARE**_ we going, Paulina's closet?" Annica asked, tightening her jacket around herself more. Jazz rolled her eyes.

"I said I wanted something pretty, not that I was going as an over-makeup-ed skank, or an underdressed drag queen." She replied scathingly.

Emma laughed.

"Whoa. Me-_**OUCH**_, and the kitty claws come out." She joked. "Why do you suddenly hate Paulina more than usual? I mean, Sam, that's one thing. She used to date Danny." Sam glared.

"Don't remind me." She muttered.

"But," Emma continued as if Sam had never said anything. "Paulina's got her sights on Dash now. Boy, she moved on fast. So much for 'Oh, Danny-boy! You left me!'"

Jazz just shrugged before looking uncomfortable again as the others laughed at Emma's impression. She couldn't shake the memories of earlier that morning.

It also didn't help that that certain corridor, as they'd found out upon their departure out of school, was closed due to a broken sink that caused flooding. She could have sworn that she'd paled.

Just the thought of Paulina sinking her claws into the one who's lips had almost grazed her own made her eerily sick, and she didn't know why.

They followed Roxie for a few more blocks until their feet were about to kick her upon their own free will.

"Ugh. C'mon. Let's stop in this store." Raven grunted. "My feet are KILLING me." Everyone, even Roxie, though she did so reluctantly, agree.

"While we're here we might as well pick up a few weather-ready things. I mean, there's no telling exactly when this weather is gonna let up and go back to normal." Sam put in.

"Yeah. We already look like Californian popsicles…" Ashley drawled, hugging herself to keep in at least a bit of warmth. The others laughed, but did the same.

Their shoes and sneakers made crunching sounds in the snow as Ashley pushed open the door of the shop they stood in front of. The girls walked in and a single gold and red bell, probably left over from Christmas, jangled as it closed.

The girls were met with a middle-class looking boutique. Pictures of models of various ethnicities hung up from wall to wall, and posters advertising "Uggs", "Rocket Dog", "Converses" and other brands were spread around the off-white store.

The carpet was a deep foggy gray, and the shelves stocked with merchandise lined the walls. There was a red and black curtain, which from by the looks of it led to another part of the store. Judging by the outside one would never guess how large the store actually was.

They took the sights in around them as a woman with a chocolate complexion a little darker than Raven's came out from behind the curtain.

She wore a corset-like black spaghetti strap shirt with three large silver buckles going across it, a deep wine red skirt, black fishnets with little skulls imbedded in them, and black high-heeled combat boots. Sam was impressed. The girl knew how to dress.

As she got closer Annica could make out a tattoo of angel wings on her left arm a bit below her shoulder. She beamed at them and her black; light enough to look an eerie shade of blue eyes, greeted them happily.

"Hey," she smiled. "I'm Melanie, and this," she gestured behind a clothes rack, "is my twin sister, Melody. Can we help you guys?" the girls jumped as a girl who looked exactly like the girl who'd introduced herself as Melanie popped up.

She wore a dark pink vest with a white long sleeved ruffled shirt under it. She wore dark jeans with some kind of design in what looked like bleach, and the shiny silver flats, only she had her jeans tucked into them.

The only difference in the two besides sense of style was that Melody had a tattoo of a broken heart that was almost split in two on the opposite spot below her shoulder that her sister had hers in, and the fact that Melanie had red streaks through her dark brown hair, while Melody did not, but her hair was wavy and a little longer than Melanie's.

Emma was the first to speak up after that surprising introduction. "Hi. I'm Emma, this is Jazz, Annica, Sam, Roxie, Ashley, and Raven." The girls nodded and greeted the two respectively.

"It's cold." Ashley said bluntly. "We sorta need winter stuff to keep us from freezing our butts off." The two sisters laughed, and the girls were surprised how similar their laughs sounded.

"No problem. We've got lots of winter stuff, including boards, skis, skates, and hoodies." Melody told them. She showed them to a rack.

"Over here is our rack filled with more of the preppy type of style. Tons of pinks and pastels all that stuff." Emma grinned.

"That's my cue." She said, beginning to look through the rack. Melanie gave a short laugh and helped her find what she was looking for. Melody continued.

"Over here we've got our more traditional styles. Filled with lots of reds, blues, yellows, beiges, and greens." Annica and Jazz followed suit and began to look. Melanie promised to be with them after she helped Emma.

"Over there is our more 'out-there' selection. Melanie likes it. It's a little eccentric for my tastes." Roxie laughed and told Melody that she'd have to take Melanie's side in that case.

"Now, let's see…ah. Ashley, I think you said your name was? Yeah. We've got the perfect Happy Bunny winter selection over…there to match that shirt you've got on," Melody pointed to a rack with a comical looking bunny on the top of it. "And I think you'll like Melanie's favorite rack." She told Sam.

She led Sam over to a rack filled with black, and Sam beamed at her. Oh, how her mother would die at the sight of all of that black. Pamela already despised the fact that she never could get Sam to squeeze into those puke-on-me-pink dresses.

Sam stuck her tongue out at the thought. She rather enjoyed breathing, thank you very much, and she could certainly go without having a giant flower poke her in the boob all day.

After all was said and done, all seven of them were very happy with their selections.

The twins showed them behind a deep blue curtain and they all changed so that they could wear their new clothes outside as the girls rang up the other things they'd bought with their school issued cards. The cards were used to purchase things around the school, but the girls were obviously using them for otherwise.

Soon, (but not soon enough for Roxie) the girls were walking out of the store, each with at least three shopping bags in hand.

"Now. We're behind schedule. Ugh. Looks like we'll have to go to that stupid costume shop that everyone's most likely left bare." Roxie groaned.

"It won't be too bad. It's like, what…a block from here?" Emma yawned. Jazz shook her head.

"No…it's right there." She watched as Roxie's eyes lit up.

"LAST ONE IN IS AN OLD, CRUSTY, TURQUOISE CHICKEN WITH A PEG LEG AND A LAME LEFT TOE!" She screamed, bolting off towards the store.

"…Wha?" Ashley asked. That was weird. Even for _her._ The others shared her look of confusion before Annica laughed.

"WHO CARES? **RUN**!"

If anyone else had seen them they would have thought they were being childish, insane, or just plain stupid.

But to them…it was just another moment they'd treasure just a bit later on.

_**Preview of:**_** TSAC II**

I walked out of my room still half asleep when I bumped into something…or someone. I groaned when I realized that it was the bumbling oaf that I was forced to call brother, who was carrying a toothbrush.

I don't know what surprised me more, the fact that he was up this early in the morning, or the fact that he actually brushes his teeth.

"Umpf…watch where you're going, Stumpy…" he muttered. I glared. I hate that nickname. He _knows_ I hate that nickname.

I got it in the worst way, too.

See, when we were younger, Lindsay, Ryan and I used to watch 'Ren and Stimpy' together. For those of you who are unfamiliar, it's an old cartoon that our parents used to watch. Well, one day Ryan decided that he wanted to be 'Ren' because his name started with an 'R' as well as the cartoon Chihuahua (Yes. I know. He never really was all that bright.)

And my sister, declaring that that was stupid, refused to be 'Stimpy'. Seeing that _she_ didn't want to be 'Stimpy', I certainly wasn't going to be 'Stimpy'. (I was eight. Like it's my fault that I followed that prude…)

Then, Ryan, being the caring older sibling that we was suggested that I be 'Stumpy' instead of 'Stimpy' seeing as 'I was so short anyway.' I'm fourteen (going on fifteen) now. You'd think the nickname would die.

I kicked him in the shin and he called me a naughty word.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, brother dear." Ryan glowered at me then stopped.

"Why the hell do you smell…minty fresh?" He asked bluntly. Apparently his eyesight had focused in because he looked at me and snickered. "Nice, Lex. What are you, diseased?" He poked my face and I swatted him away.

Only my brother would find a way to make me feel stupid about my ingenious toothpaste remedy.

I imagined that I probably turned a bright tint of red. It wasn't my fault though! I mean, I had a zit the size of…well, uhm, just…_some __**planet**_, and I ran out of cream and…ugh.

I hate my brother.

"Shut…up…" I glared. I hate my brother. I hate my brother. I _hate_ my brother. I _hate_ my _brother_.

"Fine. Now if you'll excuse me," He leaned over, took a finger and swiped toothpaste off of my nose before putting it on his toothbrush. "I must brush."

"EW! Oh my FREAKING **GOD**, Ryan, you are SO GROSS!" I snapped. I was ignored, per usual, as he traipsed into the bathroom.

I was then met with an '_ahem_'.

I turned around to see my mom looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Am I interrupting something? Sibling bonding, perhaps?" she asked, her amethyst eyes looking bemused.

"You…birthed…a spawn." I hissed.

She looked at me and shrugged with a laugh. "It wouldn't be the first time…or the last."

I pouted at her playfully. "_Moooom_! Not funny!"

The only response I got was her laughter as she brought the laundry down the stairs.

Hey guys! Yep. Obviously that was a preview of Sam and Danny's family. TSAC II will be from Alexis Fenton's point of view. All I'm going to tell you now is that it's:

_**Lindsay Marie Fenton:**__** Age**_** 18**

_**Ryan Daniel Fenton:**__** Age **_**16**

_**Alexis Rachelle Fenton:**__** Age **_**14**


	15. The Nightmarish Reality In Dreams

Okay guys, this chapter is pretty much 'Danny' centered, and it was essential to sort of push the plot along

Okay, here's the revised version of Chapter 15. This chapter is pretty much Danny centered, and was needed to explain and tie up a couple of loose ends with his dreams.

Danny opened his eyes with a stretch, stretching his limbs as far as they would go. He'd actually gotten a pretty good sleep for once, and wasn't awoken by the usual dreams he had. As far as he could tell, he hadn't dreamt at all. Tucker would surely be thankful for that, seeing as his loud shouts of terror after an especially horrifying dream the night before kept Tucker up with him until at least four in the morning.

'_That's probably why Tucker didn't wake me up_,' he figured to himself. '_He's probably still asleep_.'

He flopped over on his side to get a good look at what time it was and snapped his eyes completely open, now more alert than he had been moments ago.

It was safe to say that he was a little bit beyond shocked when he found a sleeping raven haired woman lying next to him, her back facing him.

Panicking, he quickly got out of bed, stumbling over some non-existent thing on the floor. His clumsiness woke up the woman and he found confused yet very familiar amethyst eyes staring back at him.

"Danny? Dan…you don't look so good…why don't you come back to sleep?" she asked him with a yawn.

He looked at her in a mixture of fear and amazement to see an older looking Sam looking at him blearily.

"S-Sam…wha'…I…" Danny gaped at her, caught in between getting closer and distancing himself from his girlfriend, who seemed to be much more than that all of a sudden as he caught a glimpse of two wedding bands on the nightstand on the side of the bed that he'd woken up on.

So many 'wrong side of the bed' jokes were flying through his head that it was criminal.

"Danny? Danny…" Danny's attention was now on Sam, realizing that she was talking to him. "Look in the mirror. No offense, hon, but you look horrible." Danny turned to see that she was gesturing at the mirror behind him. He turned around to see an older version of himself.

He thought that he looked somewhat the same except for the fact that he had more build and his hair was messier than usual.

"This has got to be another dream," he muttered to himself.

"Danny, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling alright?" Sam's concern was written all over her face as she got up out of the bed, pushing the blue sheets and comforter away from her. Long slender legs in a deep violet nightgown strode toward him.

Danny stared at her, as if trying to remember what she looked like before this.

'_Well, at least I'm not married to Paulina…_' he thought, bitterly looking at himself in the mirror before glancing back at Sam.

There was a knock on the door and Sam beckoned whomever it was to come in. Danny looked about ready to fall out as a girl who was the splitting image of both Sam and himself walked in wearing an old t-shirt and flannel shorts.

"Daddy, Ryan's pinching me and Alexis threw up." The girl said to him.

Danny stood staring at her like a deer caught in the headlights. There was no possible way…he was only a sophomore in high school…

Sam sighed, but Danny wasn't sure if it was at him or his supposed child.

"Thank you, Lindsay. Tell Ryan I said to cut it out, and take your sister into the bathroom please, I'll be right there." The girl whom Danny now knew as 'Lindsay' nodded and walked out, but not before giving him a weird and questioning look.

"Danny…baby…why don't you lay back down. I can call the girls and tell them that I'll catch up with them some other time, and Emma can come by and take the kids…" Sam suggested.

"N-no. I'm…fine." Danny assured her the best he could. Sam didn't seem convinced, but then again, neither did Danny.

"She looks exactly like us…" Danny said, mystified. This comment seemed to worry Sam the most.

"Danny…they all look exactly like us. As well as they should. They are our children." Sam said, inching towards him.

Danny looked at her in awe. _Their _children. _Their _marriage that produced said children. Danny turned away from her and looked into the mirror, feeling dizzy all of a sudden.

He looked closer to see if he looked as horrible as he felt when his reflection seemed to flicker. There, before him now was the flickering reflection of Vlad Masters.

"_Wake up, Danny."_

Danny shook his head. "No…I knew it." Danny backed away from the mirror furiously.

"I KNEW IT!"

Danny flung the mirror off of the wall. Of course, it was too good to be true. A happy life was unheard of. He'd always be worming away from Masters.

"OF COURSE…"

"DANNY! Danny, what's WRONG? Danny, talk to me!" Sam screamed, attempting to be heard over his enraged yelling at the mirror.

"Mommy…why's Daddy angry?" a tiny voice questioned, frightened and afraid as she peeked her head through the door. Danny could only guess that that was Alexis. He saw Lindsay behind her, grasping her hand and the boy whom he'd heard Lindsay name as Ryan was behind them.

_Their_ children…

"_Wake up, Danny."_ Masters drawled as he flickered into Plasmius. _"It's time to wake up."_

"No…no…" Danny murmured.

"_It's time to wake up."_

Danny, for what seemed to be the hundredth time that year, bolted up out of bed. Before he could fully register the dream that he'd just had, a pillow was thrown at his head.

"I swear," came the sleepy and muffled voice of his best friend. "If it was another dream about Sam…send it to me via postcard. I'm going back to sleep. Costume shopping makes me tired."

Danny gave a dry laugh in spite of the throbbing pain in his left temple. The clock read 2:15 AM, which meant that the 'Spooks-B-Good' costume party would be held that evening.

Danny had once before had half a mind to just go as Danny Phantom, but he quickly changed his mind when he heard Kwan and Jesse Reeves debating on who's Phantom costume was better.

It just creeped him out on way too many levels that Kwan had gotten the one with the 'goop gun' that supposedly shot out ectoplasm.

"It was more than that Tuck…it was like I was seeing into the future. I…I had kids. Three of them. Lindsay, Ryan, and Alexis. With Sam. Sam was there too. And…I was angry.

"And Plasmius, or Masters, or…or both. Both of them were there." Danny told his best friend, whom he wasn't all that sure was listening to him.

"Haven't we gone over this?" Came the delayed reply of Tucker, yawning he turned to his other side and faced Danny who had gotten up and began to pace.

"Yeah, yeah, but…I've never had dreams like this before, dude. They're more than dreams. It's almost as if I can _feel_ whatever I feel in the dreams. Like déjà vu, only I know for a fact that everything I've dreamt has never happened." Danny explained, wrenching a hand through his untamed hair.

"Really? Then what's up with the dream about me in a dress? And the one about Paulina planning to kill you? Or better yet, the one where Sam's sister is talking through a sock? It's all just a bunch of—"

"…What'd you say?" Danny interrupted. "The one after the Paulina thing."

"What," Tucker asked, "the dream you had about Ashley talking through a sock with a British accent? The dream you had after you ate that _**triple decker burger**_? _Remember_?" Danny waved him off.

"What was the sock's name? The sock had a name." Danny muttered frantically.

Tucker turned on the light and stared at Danny in his state of paranoia.

"Danny. It was a dream. About a girl and a SOCK. Are you really trying to remember every tidbit here?" At Danny's silence Tucker groaned. "I'm not allowed to go back to sleep am I?"

At Danny's dark glare, Tucker already knew the answer to his question. "Come on." Danny said, tossing on a sweatshirt and sliding on his sneakers.

"We're going to the girls' dorms."

Tucker groaned louder.

"Danny, come on! It's early, I'm tired, and Roxie's already got the whip half up my you-know-what for accidentally standing her up. Besides, Ashley and Sam are most likely knocked out and I know for a fact that Sam isn't a morning person, so I can only begin to fathom what her crazy sister is like."

Danny shook his head firmly. "You don't understand, Tuck. My dreams," Danny leaned against the bathroom door and looked at him helplessly, "are coming true."

Tucker rolled his eyes. "Haha. Happy 'it's not Halloween, but since Lancer's being a freak, I guess I'll be one too'." Danny, who'd begun to pace, shoved him lightly.

"Tuck, shut up, I'm serious. Ashley was in the hallway the day Sam and me got together with her sock friend, or whatever she called it, Mr. Hopper…Dipple…Dooble…or whatever his name was. Look, the point is, I've had a dream almost every night since about the fourth day of school, way back in September. It's February now.

"That's almost two hundred dreams, man. And if they're all coming true like that one did, then we're screwed. And I don't mean just you and me. I mean, the girls, the school, Amity, California, everyone. If my dreams were right, Sophia Baxter, Paulina, and maybe even Annica are under Vlad's control, and Sam is next." Danny said, worry flashing across his face.

"Fine." said Tucker, who had been listening intently.

"Say that you're right. Say that for some reason unbeknownst to you, my manhood, and myself, that I end up in a dress. Say that your dreams are right.

"What are you supposed to do? Where are the dreams coming from? How do you know that this isn't just some trick of Vlad's to get your head all out of sync so he can come and royally mess you up while you're concentrating on coincidence. Then what? What do you expect?"

Danny looked away and banged his head against the door in annoyance. "I don't know, okay? I don't know."

Tucker looked at him as if he were deciding what to do. "Try and get back to sleep. And if it happens again, I promise, we can go do something about it. But for now, crime fighting, and nightmares, and _lack of sleep_," Danny couldn't help but grin at the last one. "will have to wait. I can bet you that by tonight, all of this will be the last thing on your mind."

Danny nodded. "Yeah. Yeah…you're right."

"But alas, Mr. Fenton. I'm going to make sure that it's the only thing on your mind." Vlad smiled wickedly.

He sat at his desk in the town hall, chuckling to himself every so often. He then turned to his right where a small portable television sat next to a manila folder full of information about Amity Park's most prestigious boarding school. He pushed the 'power' button on the television and turned the channel to a brown haired girl sleeping quietly in her dorm room.

"And you're going to help me, aren't you dear?"

Annica snored.

**TSAC 2: Preview Number Two**

It's not as if I hate my brother…okay, well, maybe I do, but just not as much as I hate my sister. Or perhaps I hate them equally. I debated this as Ryan and I walked down the busy streets of downtown Amity. We were sent to get the cake for Lindsay's party.

She would be a senior this year, Ryan the Insufferable would be a junior, and I of course, am going to be a lowly freshman. From what our parents are constantly telling us, we're not being 'shipped' off to boarding school like they were, but we are being 'placed' in there for the '_experience'_.

According to my mother, and the stories I've heard from my many aunts who went to school with her, this place is supposed to be fun. My sister absolutely LOVES the place, my brother hates school in general so he really doesn't care, and I…I am scared out of my mind.

It's not that I'm afraid I won't like the place or anything. Mom and Dad told all of us when Lindsay first had to go that if we don't like it after a month of trying, they'll talk it over with us, see if they can fix whatever the problem is, and if it can't be resolved, we can go to public school.

My parents aren't really souped about the idea of us going to public school though. Since everyone knows about Dad's identity as Danny Phantom, everyone of course knows _our_ identities as his children. But, since they love us and want us to at least have a good attempt at being normal, they said they'd see what they can do, but make no final promises.

My parents are totally cool like that, so that's not the problem at all. It's just the fact that I'm going to have to live up to whatever Lindsay and Ryan have already done. I hate that.

"Come on, you loser. Stop staring into space and cross the street, or else I'm gonna leave you here and let you get hit by a truck, then ask Dad if we can get a golden retriever."

Ryan told me, grabbing my hand and yanking me across the street that I'd apparently stopped in the middle of.

I gave him a certain finger that could be deemed inappropriate, especially by our goody-goody sister. Ignoring me, as usual, he led me into a new bakery that I was told our sister's cake was in.

Walking in, the first thing I smelled were the chocolate-chip cookies behind the glass. The next thing I smelled was the annoyingly strong perfume of the skank behind the counter.

Of course, said skank was fluttering her eyelashes, pouting her lips, and squishing her cleavage at my oblivious brother. I felt like my insides were going to explode from laughter. I squirmed uneasily, earning an odd glance from a balding gentleman in the corner.

As I went to wander off, Ryan tightened his grip on my hand and pulled me over to the counter and handed the skank our ticket for the cake. She gave me an evil look before nodding at my brother and going behind the plastic curtain thing to go get the cake.

"I'm hungry…" I complained, eyeing the cookies. Ryan, who annoyingly stood about a head and a half over me, rolled his eyes.

"Fine. We can get something," he said, my eyes must have lit up like Christmas lights because he then continued with, "but it's going to be _real_ food."

By this time, the skank came back with our cake and Ryan looked at me with a triumphant grin. I wanted to smack him. I could tell that the skank wanted to smack him too, but not where I wanted to.

I hardly paid attention to Ryan placing an order for two bagels as I looked in the reflection of the glass to see the balding dude staring at me. I inched closer to Ryan and grabbed his hand tighter. He gave me a weird look, but I just beamed up at him, as not to cause any suspicion from Sir-Balds-A-Lot.

Ryan told me to stand at the counter and get our order while he sat down at a table by the door we'd come in from to call our mom, leaving me with the skank, and the pedophile that was watching me.

"So…" I was startled out of my pedophile watch by the skank's voice, which was miraculously more annoying than her perfume. "Your boyfriend's a cute one. You're lucky."

I gave her a disgusted look. "He's not my boyfriend. He's my older brother." I had a slight urge to add on 'you stupid trollop' at the end of that, but I contained my cruelty.

"Oh…" She got this creepy look on her face like she wanted to jump over the counter and frisk him or something. She started talking to me again, so to shut her up, I gave her his cell phone number and told her to call him later tonight, at about seven.

She promised to do so (like I really cared) and gave me our order. When I got to him, I took the bagel with the icing heart on it, not just because I needed a sugar rush, but because this one was probably intended for him, and I could be well assured that she didn't spit in this one. I eyed the one that was supposed to be for me suspiciously.

Well…if arsenic was spread on it under the cream cheese like I suspected, we'd soon find out.

"You know," I said, taking a bite out of the one I took. "She thought I was your girlfriend…"

"Ew. What?" Ryan asked, looking at her then back at me. I nodded.

"I set her straight though. I told her I was your sister." I looked behind him to see the pedophile staring at me with interest. Oh great. He probably thought I was Ryan's girlfriend too.

I hope he kidnaps Ryan…my boobs aren't even fully grown in yet.

"Thank God. Ugh." Ryan muttered. I glared at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded to know. Ryan looked up at me from his bagel.

"Exactly what I said, 'Thank God'. Why the hell would I date you?" He asked, rolling his eyes at me.

I pinched him furiously. "_AND YOU TELL ME, RYAN DANIEL FENTON, What's WRONG with __**ME**_?" I hissed.

His blue eyes stared at me as if I were an idiot. "Ow. You're my SISTER." I waved my hand at him impatiently.

"And if I weren't? What if I weren't your sister?" I wanted to know.

"What? Why the hell are we talking about this? WHY are we talking about incest, Alexis?" Ryan groaned, leaning his head back and sliding his hand down his face.

We both failed to notice the skank and the pedophile looking on with interest.

"_I heard Chris tell you that his first time was with Gabriella Varner, who is like my freaking twin except older with brown eyes, and you and Chris are like biological brothers, so if Chris can sleep with __**her**__, why can't __**you**__ sleep with __**ME**_?" I snapped, my throat getting tired of angry hissing.

"OH MY GOD! WHAT?" Ryan cried out, almost falling out of his chair. "Ignoring the fact that you eavesdropped on my conversation, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? I'M NOT GOING TO SLEEP WITH YOU! YOU'RE MY SISTER!!" He shouted.

The skank looked ready to pop a button. She was leaned against the glass, so intent on listening in that I was sure a button would fly off of her shirt and hit the pedophile in the eye.

"NO, STUPID! I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU! I WANNA KNOW ABOUT CHRIS…—Crap." The moment those words left my mouth I wanted to shoot myself.

Not only did my brother, a skank, and some pedophile think that I was in some kind of sick love with said brother, said brother knew of my almost equally sick love for his best friend. I began fidgeting with my hands on the table.

Ryan knew me well enough to know that the question wasn't wondering if anyone would sleep with me, (a question like that heard by his younger sister was a question that only years of therapy could fix) but if Chris was interested in me.

Ryan stared at me, as if he was starting to piece everything together. He grabbed my hands and looked me dead in the eye. "You…like…Chris? Chris Caulder? My best friend, Chris Caulder?"

I nodded weakly, and heard a vague clicking sound. I looked over to see the dude clicking his pen frantically. Oh boy…he was probably totally into the whole 'freakish girl in love with her brother' thing.

I was lost in thought as Ryan left the money on the table and called a cab to take us home, since it was getting dark. Nothing was said all the way home.

When we walked into the house, Lindsay was in the living room. She grabbed her cake, and threw it on the counter.

"Hey!" Ryan said, still a little irate from our conversation.

"Yeah, yeah. A cake is the last thing _you_ two need to worry about." She grabbed the remote and turned on the television.

My eyes almost rolled into the back of my head. On some celebrity show, there was a 'Breaking News' update.

"Oh my freaking freak! It's my pedophile!" I cried. Both of my siblings gave me a _'…What?'_ look. I shook my head and told them I'd explain later.

"I couldn't believe my ears." Said my pedophile, who the flashy box under his picture claimed him to be Richard Fry, editor of 'The Amity Advocate', a trashy gossip magazine.

"So that's why he was there. He was following us for a story…" I said, looking to Lindsay who nodded and waved a perfectly manicured hand in the air.

"Uh-huh. And boy did you two morons give him one." She said, pointing to the television.

There, in bright white letters said, "Fenton Incest Scandal. How Long Has This Been Going On?".

"Ohhh…boy." I gulped.

As if my troubles weren't great enough, my father opened the door and let it close with a slam, and my mother followed a second later, but closed the door herself.

"Would the three of you like to explain to your mother and I just exactly what is going on?" he asked, seething.

I don't know why…but I had a slight feeling that the skank would not be calling as I watched the clock on top of the television change from 6:59 to 7:00.


	16. The Silences That Bring Us Together

Hey guys

Here it is, Chapter 16, revised. From here to the end, little to no revision will really be needed except for maybe a word or two that runs together. Here's the dance, and Roxie's assignment!

Hope you like it,

Keyarrah

"It's a nice dress." He offered. Roxie nodded.

"I guess." She shrugged indifferently.

…silence.

"I'm…I'm sorry." Tucker stuttered after the pregnant pause that had just taken place between them. Roxie raised an eyebrow and plopped on what she guessed to be Danny's bed.

"For…what exactly?" By her tone, Tucker knew that she knew exactly what he was sorry for. He decided to give in and looked at her with a slightly nervous smile.

"For standing you up. When I finally remembered about it, Danny said that you had left with the others to go get your costumes." Tucker explained.

"It's whatever. Dresses suck, and we picked ours up after costume shopping." She adjusted her 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' pajama bottoms at the waist irritably.

"Oh..." Tucker said. He looked away nervously, and Roxie was beginning to grow tired of the bashfulness.

"Y'anno…it's too bad that you apologized." She shrugged. She brushed a bright red streak out of her face. Tucker looked at her with interest.

"Why?" Tucker looked so confused that Roxie couldn't help but have fun with him.

"Because I had an evil revenge plot all sorted out for you. It involved shopping...and bondage and pain, but not in a dirty way, sicko. More like…an evil menacing sort of way, like in 'Bone Crusher's Fury IV' when Mistress Valkarae traps Master Hishirugu in the chamber on Level 12." She explained quickly.

Tucker grinned at her. This was the Roxie that Tucker had begun to like. Tucker saw through her 'move-or-else-I'll-break-your-face' façade that she put on and saw the truly bright, pretty, and amazingly tech savvy girl that her friends and family saw. Sure, Roxanne Forrester could probably take him in an arm-wrestling competition, (not that he'd ever, EVER admit that…) and yes, there was a possibility that if she wanted to that she could hack into his computer and PDA at the exact same time without breaking a sweat, but for some reason that didn't bother him.

He blinked at her for a minute before he began to get nervous again. He supposed this was karma for being so hard on Danny when he had been practically in love with Sam before.

"I…I've got to pee and go take out the…yeah…" Tucker mumbled something else that Roxie couldn't comprehend.

What had she done?

'_Duh, ROXANNE, no guy likes to hear some girl brag about what a total loser she is, and how she beat his favorite game. What? Did you have some false misconception that he would actually ask you for gaming tips? Ooh, ooh, or maybe you thought you'd impress him with your 'tech savviness'. Guess what, Forrester. You suck. You totally and officially __**suck**__.'_

Roxie internally whined. One person she would hate to be in a cage match with: the mean cynical voice in her head.

'_There's only one way out of this, Roxie. You've got to make a run for it. Write him a note, and bolt.'_ Roxie nodded to herself.

"Right. Write. A note. Then bolt. Right." She agreed.

She looked around frantically in the room until she felt something in her pocket. It was the receipt for the costume that she'd bought earlier. Perfect. Now all she needed was a pen…

She looked around the room for a pen as she heard water running in the bathroom. Crap! He was coming!

Just as she was about to give up hope on everything her eyes fell on a little blue pill on the floor. She picked it up and stared at it for a moment until she realized what it was.

Before she could do anything the doorknob began to turn and a mortifying thought ran through her head.

'_You're holding a little blue pill, Roxie. You know what boys think when they see little blue pills? Birth control, that's what they think. Tucker is going to think you are holding birth control instead of a sleeping pill. Do we want Tucker to think that? No. Drop the pill, Roxie!'_

Roxie's eyes widened and she threw it into the first thing she saw…which just happened to be a green water bottle. She flung herself onto Danny's bed as Tucker walked out.

"My mouth is so dry…" he groaned. Speechless, Roxie watched as he gulped it down.

"Uhm…maybe you should sit down…" Roxie replied warily.

"What for? You okay? You look really pale all of a sudden." Tucker observed, yawning.

"I'm fine. Does the water supply taste funny to you lately?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

"Not really. But you seem funny all of a sudden. What's up?" Tucker's brow furrowed in a mix of worry and confusion.

Roxie wanted to scream. What had she done? What had she done?!

"You should sit down. Really…_**Really**_." Roxie emphasized, as Tucker yawned again.

"I don't see what the big deal is…I feel…feel…fine." Tucker began to nod out and his eyes began to droop.

"Oh…please sit down..." Roxie groaned pathetically.

Tucker, instead of replying, simply fell onto the bed with a thump and Roxie looked horrified.

She had every intention to bolt…or to call the ambulance when all of a sudden her eyes fell on a red dress. The red dress that she had bought. The red dress that she had showed Tucker minutes ago.

She turned and glanced at the Polaroid camera on the bookshelf that she knew had to be Tucker's. Glancing in the mirror at herself, she voiced what the voice in her head was thinking at her furiously.

"Oh…you are so going to Hell for this…"

Danny groaned as he woke up outside of the main cafeteria. Realizing that he must've fallen asleep on the walk he'd taken to clear his head, he shook off the weird dream he'd just had. What was it with him with dreams about Tucker and dresses? Now Roxie was included in this one, and this new dream seemed to coincide with the dream that he'd had once before.

Brushing it off as another freakish dream, he slowly trudged and made his way back to his dorm, only to find Tucker knocked out on his bed. Maybe, just maybe if Danny were a little more alert, or a little more awake he might have noticed the fact that Tucker, who usually snored in his sleep, was dead silent.

Meanwhile, Ashley Marie Manson was having the best sleep ever. It was that kind of sleep that you just naturally fall into. After costume shopping, Ashley had begun to sneeze violently. In fact, one sneeze was so violent that it caused her to throw her head back and fling off the eye-patch she had been trying on. Yes. Ashley Manson was going to be a pirate.

She was, at the last minute, going to change her mind and buy a sparkly periwinkle cape and go in her cloud pajamas as, 'Super Ashley', but Sam told her 'no'.

…Well, actually she said, "No way in Hell, Ashley."

So after they all returned to the school, the first thing that Ashley did was crawl into bed and sleep.

So now, here Ashley was, sleeping across the room from her older sister, Sam…until a loud knock…scratch that…loud bang was heard from the door.

"Wha's ah?" Sam asked, half asleep. Ashley gave a grunt in response.

"Mansons! Open up!" a voice that sounded suspiciously like Roxie's hissed.

"Unh. Ash-hey. 'O ee 'wha anh…'" Sam mumbled.

"Why don't YOU see what she wants?" Ashley groaned tiredly. She was responded to by having a pillow hurled at her.

"Oh fine." Ashley got up and blinked as the clock between their beds read, "6:32 AM". Just for the fun of it, she flicked on the light, resulting in an angry sound from Sam.

She yawned and unlocked the lock on top of their door. Opening the door, she found an antsy looking Roxie, and tired looking Annica, Raven, Jazz and Emma, all in their pajamas.

Moving Ashley out of the way, Roxie rushed in and yanked the covers off of Sam's bed.

"Wake up, Sam. It's important." Roxie gulped.

The girls looked at her oddly. Roxie, who was clad in 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' pajamas looked incredibly worried. She was tapping her foot anxiously and she had bags under her eyes as if she hadn't slept all night.

As soon as they were all in, she urged Emma, who was the last one in, to close the door and lock it behind her.

"Roxie, what is your problem?" Sam stretched with a yawn. "…And why is it always MY dorm?"

Ashley looked ready to add something, but then thought better of it.

"I think I killed Tucker!" Roxie blurted out.

Her announcement was met with, five "What?!"s and one, "Cool!"

"What do you mean you _think_ you **killed** Tucker?" Raven questioned cagily.

"I MEAN I think I killed Tucker! As in, I THINK I KILLED TUCKER!" Roxie shouted. She then went back to looking incredibly frazzled and repeated in a hiss, "I think I killed Tucker."

"Cool!" Ashley exclaimed again. Sam nudged her.

"Why? Is it because he stood you up? Did you find him with another woman and kill him in a spirit of jealousy, rage, and scorn, like in the Lifetime movie, 'Jealousy, Rage, and Scorn'?" Emma blurted out.

Jazz gave her a sideways glance and made a mental note to herself to break Emma's portable TV.

"Shut up, Em." Sam sighed. "What happened, Roxie?"

Roxie sighed. "Well, you know how I was kinda pissed at Tucker for standing me up or whatever?" She received six head nods in reply.

"Okay, well, I was…I was online earlier this morning at like…maybe 3:00 and Tuck was online. So I got to talking to him, and after he apologized, he asked if maybe I wanted to come and chill out in Danny and his dorm since Danny woke him up about…uhm…something, I forget what it was. Anyway, he said Danny took a walk or something around the school and that since he couldn't hang with me earlier because he forgot until Danny reminded him, we could hang then."

"Oh Rox, please tell me that you didn't make out with him or something. Doesn't that room suffer enough with Sma and her lover?" Ashley groaned.

"Ew. Mental. Images." Jazz's face tuned up in disdain. "…Did you call her 'Sma'?"

"I told you Sam was a boyfriend-stealing-two-bit-skank-floozy-whore…minus the boyfriend stealing part since he's hers now." Raven patted Sam on the head with a bright smile.

Sam grabbed her pillow and thrashed her with it.

"AHEM." Roxie looked at them all pointedly.

"Oh, right, right. Back to why you're going to be doing fifty years to life." Annica turned to Roxie.

Roxie looked ready to start a freak out again so Jazz put a hand over Annica's mouth before she could say anything else.

"An, shut up. Okay, Roxie. Continue." Jazz nodded to her.

"Okay, so then I agreed, and NO, Ashley. We were **just** talking. So when I got there, I told him that I had plotted revenge on him. He asked me what it was." She continued.

The girls followed along with what she was saying.

"So then I told him about how I planned to make him go dress shopping with me as revenge, even though I had already gone. And then I said something stupid and he left to go pee…" Roxie trailed off nervously.

"Is that where you socked him?" Annica asked hastily. She received a death glare from Jazz who then turned to give Emma the same look before she could open her mouth. Emma gave a slight squeak and closed her mouth.

"So then I freaked. And I knew I had to get outta there and then that voice popped into my head. You know, the one that's slightly possessed? Yeah, that one. So then I drugged him…accidentally…sort of and then I took the stupid picture and now I don't know if he's awake 'cause he was sleeping really heavy, and he might have died! What do I do?!"

Six girls stared at Roxie in silence.

"The devil made you do it? Is that what you're gonna tell the jury when they hang your little butt from the flagpole of justice?" Annica asked, deadpan.

"Good luck. I saw a movie on Lifetime about an all girls detention center. Some of those girls look like men. They're butch, I'm telling you." Emma said apologetically.

Jazz was too stunned to smack either one of them.

"Look," Sam sighed, deciding to be the voice of reason. "I'm sure that Tucker is fine and that he's awake and happily oblivious. Another plus—you're done with your assignment. Annica, Roxie is NOT going to jail. Emma, stop watching Lifetime, it's stealing your freaking soul."

Raven agreed. "Right. So now, let's have everyone chillax, take a deep breath, and we all might as well all camp out here for awhile, seeing as we're all out of it and I don't know about you guys, but I'm not going as the Bride of Frankenstein tonight, and 'dead tired' doesn't look attractive with my costume."

Everyone happily complied and the seven of them divided up the two beds and the floor space.

It was around 8:34 PM and Casper High was ablaze with excitement. The usually dreary and important seeming hallways were decorated with black and transparent streamers, with banners and posters displaying 'important' notes such as 'Ghouls Can Be Ghood!', 'Spooks-B-Gone!' and, 'BOOgie Down Tonight!' in bright colors. One poster that the girls found particularly disturbing was the one of Lancer and a ghost (which was really Mr. Goldman in a torn sheet) with an arm thrown around each other's shoulders, as if they were poster children for human and ghost civility.

In a particular dorm, Sam and Ashley Manson's to be exact, the girls rushed around frantically, excited to actually be doing something since the ghost attack. Sure, classes would be restarting February 20th, since the infirmary would be totally rebuilt by the 19th, but even that was welcomed by the girls and a good part of the school.

"Where's my little white hat?" Raven asked, looking under the bed. Jazz looked away from her bright green dress to point to Ashley's dresser.

"Right there. Oh, Ashley, there's your eye-patch." Ashley gave an enthused, 'Yes!' and put it on as she placed her hat on her head…only…it didn't exactly feel like her pirate hat.

"Ashley, get my coconut bra off your head. Where's my lei?" Emma grunted as she snatched the bra off of the younger girl's head. She put it on under her shirt before taking her shirt off so that Annica could tighten the straps of the fuzzy bra.

"Not here," Roxie told her as she applied dark mahogany colored lipstick. "I think you might have left it."

Emma groaned as she fixed the bright flower in her hair. Rushing out of the dorm she made her way down the crowded hall of girls making their way down the stairs to the grand ballroom. To others it might seem weird that their school had a grand ballroom, but since Casper used to be an elite and sort of snotty school back in the 1800's, it made sense.

Making her way into her dorm room, she felt a little guilty for the relief that she felt when she realized that Gigi wasn't there. Or at least she was relieved until she walked out in a long black wig, a violet mini-dress and black stilettos that could be used as a weapon.

"Gigi…hi." Emma greeted lamely.

"Oh. Hello Emma. How are you?" Genesis asked with a smile. Emma shrugged politely.

"I'm pretty good. Nice costume. Supermodel?" Emma guessed. Genesis smiled and shook her head.

"No, but close, I'm Posh Spice. Hula Girl?" Genesis nodded at her costume.

Emma laughed. "On the package it said, 'Hawaiian Maiden', but yeah. I'm a Hula Girl."

There was an awkward silence between the two of them before they looked up and both said, "I'm sorry."

Genesis smiled again. "What are you sorry for? It was incredibly rude of me to butt into your business like that. If anyone should be sorry, it should be me."

Emma wasn't buying it. "Nah, if anyone should be sorry, it's me. I snapped at you, and you were right. I shouldn't have been wary about you the way that I was. You're my roommate. It doesn't make sense that I can trust you to share space with me, but I can't trust you with any bloody thing else. _I'm_ sorry, Gene-…Gigi. Really. I am."

She and Gigi shared a smile until a Black girl clad in leopard print pants and a gold halter-top ran in. Emma's eyes bulged at her giant afro. Evidently, she was Scary Spice…she sure was scary that's for sure. If not her, then the damage that her top was doing to Emma's eyes sure was.

"Gigi, Baby Spice got stuck in Sporty Spice's costume, and we can't find Ginger!" The girl cried out in panic. Gigi sighed.

"I guess that's my cue. I'll see you later, Emma." Gigi grinned as she allowed herself to be pulled out by the frantic girl.

Emma sighed herself, but a content one. Grabbing her lei off of the lamp beside her bed, she ran back to the dorm to go tell the girls about her newfound truce with her roomie.

"That reminds me!" Ashley cried out, almost flinging the eye-patch again.

"Watch it, Ash…" Sam warned as she ducked out of the way just in case.

Ashley ignored her, per usual and continued. "I met that Jancey girl you were all talking about. She's really cool. Kind of weird though…but in a cool way. She likes old stuff, like old movies. She says all these weird quotes…it's mind-boggling. Anyway, yeah. She's totally cool. I'm meeting up with her tonight just in case you all bore me to death."

Raven snickered. "Nice to know you care."

"Aw, Jazz. Get jealous. Ashley's taking your girl crush!" Roxie teased.

"Says the girl who thought she was going to be tried for murder." Jazz countered.

Roxie glowered, her lips pursed in humor. "Touché…"

"Hey Roxie…are you going as Paulina?" Annica questioned seriously.

Roxie looked baffled. "Nooo…I'm a biker chick. Why?" she asked, an eyebrow raised. Annica simply shrugged.

"Because you look like a skank." She answered. Roxie smacked her upside the head.

After fixing themselves up and checking that everything was as it should have been, seven very costumed girls made their way down the stairs like the others before them. Waiting at the bottom of the stairs stood Danny and Tucker (much to Roxie's relief).

"Ah. Let me see, Annica, you're a hippie, Emma, you're a hula girl, Ashley is obviously a pirate, Jazz must be Tinkerbell, Raven is a nurse, Sam is…" Tucker trailed off.

"Gothic Cinderella." Sam grinned.

Sam wore a long strapless black Cinderella-esque ball-gown that went down to her calves. Her hair was pinned up in a sophisticated looking bun that only Emma could pull off, and to top it all off she wore a tiny tiara. Danny grinned at the black clear 'glass' slippers on her feet.

"Roxie, you look like a—" Tucker was cut off by Annica.

"Don't say 'Paulina'. She gets testy." She warned him evenly.

"I'm a biker chick." Roxie filled in. She raised her hand to Annica testily.

In all fairness to Annica, one could see why she might get the wrong idea. Roxie wore a black leather miniskirt, torn black fishnets, biker boots, a red leather corset, and a black leather jacket that fit her tightly. Of course she had to add the skull tearing through a blazing heart tattoo that she'd found before on their shopping excursion.

"Batman?" Jazz question Danny's costume. "Really?"

Danny shrugged. "Well, you know that Sam has got that thing for superheroes." The girls either snickered or cast furtive glances at Sam as she blushed.

"…Are you an exterminator?" Ashley asked Tucker in slight disdain. Tucker rolled his eyes as if his costume should have been obvious.

"No! I'm a Ghostbuster!" He grinned proudly. The girls and Danny backed away as Tucker started singing the song.

"Something strange in your neighborhood...who you gonna call?!"

"Walk away…walk away…" Emma hissed, her hula skirt ruffling.

As they turned to go and walk into the ballroom, three girls who were walking as if they were in one of those cliché popular girl sequences in a teen flick cut them off.

Paulina flicked her hair as she, Ana and Star walked by in a huff of bright color and clacking heels.

"Looks like Paulina finally found her true calling…" Annica muttered loud enough for only them to hear.

The three were dressed up in Hooters uniforms that were obviously modified. Their costumes consisted of tiny skirts and belly shirts, Paulina's in hot pink, Star's in electric blue, and Ana's in neon green. Their sky-high heels made their skirts even tinier. Sam withheld throwing a punch at Paulina as she turned around, winked and blew a kiss at Danny before continuing to strut in.

They walked in to see the party in full swing. Chaperones dressed as ghosts were littered around the place, as were hundreds of students. Danny smirked as he saw their math teacher, Ms. Desal dancing with the Box Ghost, who she must have thought was part of the faculty. Wouldn't she be surprised?

After about forty-five minutes of catching up with classmates that they hadn't seen in what felt like ages, and comparing stories about what happened the day of the ghost attack (minus Danny and Sam who stayed suspiciously quiet) they all decided it was about time to dance.

As 'Nothing Wrong' by Jimmy Eat World started up, Batman and Gothic Cinderella (a.k.a. Danny and Sam) made their way out to the floor and blended themselves in with the other couples out on the dance floor, Emma, Raven, and Annica were doing some kind of crazy three people limbo dance, Roxie and Tucker were debating on the best way to get past Level 12, and Ashley ran off to go find her new friend.

Jazz found herself alone and very well aware of it. She wandered around until she found herself the punch bowl behind a tall blonde boy dressed in green.

"Excuse me," Jazz spoke up, unsure if he could hear her over the music. As he turned around, Jazz suddenly found herself wishing she'd just stayed at the table.

Dash Baxter stood before her in all of his glory, dressed up in all green with a bow and arrow bag hung over one shoulder. His blue eyes reflected something that Jazz either couldn't or wouldn't comprehend.

"Oh. Hi." Jazz murmured.

Suddenly her bright green dress seemed far too short, and the sparkles in her hair seemed far too bright. Her red hair that was currently pulled up into a ponytail felt as if it would fall out any moment and her bare legs felt exposed.

"Tinkerbell…" Dash observed lightly.

"Robin Hood…" Jazz countered just as light.

No words were uttered as the both of them seemed to fulfill the theme of the day—awkward silence.

"Uhm, like…can you guys either get something or move? I've gotta get my boyfriend a drink before he burns up at the sight of Paulina and her lack of clothing." A brunette dressed as Pippi Longstockings sighed.

Dash and Jazz moved out of the way as the song changed. Clearing his throat and setting down his bow and arrows he turned to her meekly.

_I waited 'till I saw the sun._

_Don't know I didn't come. _

_Left you by the house of fun._

_Don't know why I didn't come._

_I don't know why I didn't come._

"Norah Jones, 'Don't Know Why'." Jazz smiled to herself before she noticed Dash staring at her intently. "…Wh-what?"

"Can I…erm…be your Peter Pan? Just for this dance?" He asked softly. Unable to find her voice, Jazz just nodded.

He took her hand softly and led her into the mass of dancers. She felt chills go down her spine as he placed his hand gently on the small of her back. Nervously, she placed one hand on his shoulder and the other on his side. His hand was much larger than hers as it placed itself on her shoulder, she observed.

_My heart is drenched in wine…_

_But you'll be on my mind forever._

"You know…this song has various interpretations." She replied, not meeting his gaze.

"Really?" Dash asked, clearing his throat.

"Mhm," Jazz nodded. "I suppose it depends on the person."

After a brief pause, Dash asked, "Okay, so what do you think?"

After receiving a confused look from Jazz he continued. "About the song. What do you think it's about?"

Jazz looked at him in contemplation as they both gently swayed to the music. "I believe," she said, finally looking him in the eyes. "That it's about a girl who had an unexpected love…or a…love interest, and that she didn't know what to do with it all—you know, the feelings, the new situation…and she let him slip away. And she realizes that it's far too late to get it back…but she wants it back…she wants him…and she always did, it just only took something to make her realize it."

Dash gave a silent nod. "I think so too." He agreed.

"I don't ever want that to happen to me…" Jazz mused.

Dash, looking incredibly and uncharacteristically serious bluntly replied back, "Then don't let it."

Jazz's heart began to beat, and the unexplainable feeling that overcame them in the bathroom that day swept over them.

Dash touched Jazz's face with the back of his hand and said, "Jazz…I…"

"Dashton." A cool voice interrupted them. Behind the two of them stood Sophia Baxter, dressed crisply in a floor length emerald colored dress. "It's time to go. Say goodnight to Miss. Fenton."

Dash's father stood the furthest away. Carter Baxter did not seem like a cold man, but his eyes seemed to hold a frightening steely reserve, and Jazz couldn't help but feel that she'd seen him before…seen that look before.

Was it the day that she'd found out Dash's secret?...No. It was…it was…

"Now, Dashton." Sophia's words cut through her thoughts.

She watched as Carter picked up Dash's bow and arrows and Sophia marched her son out of the ballroom. So stuck in her thoughts, she didn't hear six pairs of footsteps behind her until it was too late.

"Jazz?" Raven questioned.

She stood stationary in her crisp white nurse's uniform. She straightened her little nurse hat before looking back to the redheaded girl who was feeling a confused pang of heartbreak.

Roxie, approaching Jazz closer gave her a sad look. Her gray eyes looked around her as if she were in the process of figuring something out.

"Is there something going on with you and Dash? Please tell me that you and Dash aren't hiding a torrid love affair. I thought that was Sam and Danny's thing."

Jazz looked at her friend, then back to Dash's retreating figure. "Rox, trust me on this one… Dash and I have as much to hide and you and Tucker have to show right now."

Jazz walked away, overwhelmed and confused with the feelings of deja-vu and a sick feeling in her stomach. It was a feeling that made her want to cry…something she just couldn't admit right then.

Roxie stood by herself for a moment before calling out, "The only reason I'm not saying anything is because I don't know whether to be insulted or relieved!"

Annica rolled her eyes as she and the others stepped closer. "You're just mad because no one gets your Paulina outfit…" Roxie smacked her again.

**TSACII Preview 1**

I glared at Ryan in annoyance, which seemed to be something I was doing quite often.

"Stay out of my life." I snarled through gritted teeth. I turned to walk away in my normal dramatic fashion when he grabbed my arm roughly.

"You're being an idiot. Are you seriously letting Lara Sanchez get to you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He was mocking me. He was totally mocking me.

"Mind. Your. Business." My eyes narrowed and I fought to get away from him.

"Stop being such a—" Ryan stopped as we heard a crash and loud snorting giggle. We looked at each other and crept toward the hall, him still having his death grip on my arm.

'_Note to self,'_ I thought. _'At his wedding, give drunken speech about his history with domestic abuse, hoping his wife will leave him.'_

As we got nearer to the edge of the hallway, we slowed down until only the staircase was ahead. Poking our heads out and looking down the stairs, we saw something we never thought we'd see.

There, was my perfect sister, Lindsay…laughing and drunk off her butt.

"No…way." Ryan said, his voice barely audible. I too, was in total shock.

"…Blackmail?" He asked a second later. Obviously, he was through being affected. I gave a sigh, knowing that by the end of the week I would hate myself for what I was about to say.

"No…we have to help her." I sighed, trying to pretend as if I was not ruining everything.

I had waited for this! WAITED! Here was my chance to catch my perfect 'I-can-do-no-wrong' sister finally pushed off her throne (or she probably stumbled seeing as how she couldn't get up just then…) and kicked down to where the little people who are notorious for screwing up and causing mischief (like my moronic brother who STILL had yet to let go of my arm) lived.

And what was I doing? What was I doing now that the perfect chance was being thrown right into my lap? I was going to put the little tart back on her pretty white pedestal! My parents were never going to find out that they really had no hope. They would never know that in actuality, all THREE kids were screwed up. They would forever look at us until their dying day and smile to themselves thinking, '_Well, at least there was that one…_'.

I was going to let my parents live a lie; a sham. Well, here goes…

I sighed. "Grab her legs…"

**TSACII Preview 2**

Shuffling down the stairs absentmindedly, I cringed as my foot hit the side of the staircase. Muttering naughty words of anger towards the stairs, I walked towards the kitchen with a one-track mind.

Yes, I was a girl on a mission. I was going to find the parental units, butter them up and drop to my knees while desperately pleading..._**pleading**_ to go to Nichole Dauer's back to school party.

I made it to the doorway before pumping my arms up and down in excitement. Yes! Jackpot! Go Lexi! Go Lexi! Go Lexi! Go Lexi! Okay. Enough self-congratulation and back to the task at hand.

Both of the 'rents were in the kitchen. The flaw? Loserboy was in there too. My amethyst eyes narrowed in determination. Now, I am so not the partying type, believe that. But this had nothing to do with partying. This was about PRIDE. I am not a prude!

I was going to prove Skylar wrong. I mean, what kind of a cousin basically suggests that you live life as a friggen nun?! Not a good one, I can tell you that. The blonde girl would be proven wrong.

"Ryan," my mother's exasperated sigh cut into my thoughts. "Just because a dish is **wet** does not mean it is **clean**." She held up a fork to him and pointed to the stuck on food. I wrinkled my nose. One of us was adopted, and I believed that it was Loserboy.

Ryan shrugged as he leaned against the kitchen counter and ran a hand through hid jet-black hair. "Looks clean to me, Mom. I'd still eat with it."

Shuffling in, I rolled my eyes. "Of course YOU would, circus reject."

Ryan snorted. "Says the one with the clown 'fro." I threw him death glares of doom as I smoothed down my hair with a scowl.

"Leave. I need to talk to Mom and Daddy and your presence makes me want to hurl." I glared. Loserboy shrugged.

"Talk away, baby sister. Won't even notice I'm here. Think of me as…an observer. I will observe you."

I raised an eyebrow. "You sound like a peeping tom."

Dad looked up from the stack of papers he was looking through. "What's up, Angel?"

I gave Ryan…a.k.a. Loserboy a pointed look and made a shooing gesture. "Out, vermin."

Ryan rolled his eyes and caught the dishtowel that my mother threw at him. "Whatever, Alexis. Apparently, I've got dish duty." He turned to the sink.

I went to protest when my mother held up a hand. "Don't bother. It'll take all of his concentration to remember **soap**."

"Crap…" Ryan muttered, reaching for the soap. I ignored him.

"Okay, so you know how I'm totally and completely responsible, right? Well, just in case you've forgotten I have the perfect way to remind you. See, an equally responsible individual is putting together a little pre-school year get together. Can I go?" I asked.

My parents glanced at each other, and I got a little worried. See, my parents have this creepy silent language. With just one glance they could both give you an answer in unison. Once, when Ryan came home four hours late after curfew they gave him a speech…in turn. It's bewildering how they finish each other's sentences. Mom was the first to speak.

"So basically hon, our daughter is pleading with us, a speech that she's rehearsed probably exactly thirteen…no fourteen times in the mirror since she has that thing with even numbers, to go to a wild high school party that even Ryan knew not to ask to go to.

"It's most likely being thrown by an insane pre-college frat boy whose parents are never around, or a micro-miniskirt wearing trollop whose parents are morons. Speaking of parents, they won't be there, and in nine months we'll hear about how procreation was the main theme at said party. So Danny, baby, should she go?"

What scared me the most was that she said that in two breaths, and two breaths only.

My parents gave me a pointed look.

"All you had to say was 'no'. 'No' would have done much better for my ego…and it was sixteen." I huffed dejectedly.

I walked out, ignoring what ever immature comment my older brother was surely making, and made it to my room. I grabbed my cell-phone off of the floor next to the clean (or not…who really knows) heap of clothes and went to call Sky when I stopped.

No way. There was no way that I would admit to my cousin that she was right. I, Alexis Fenton, am so not a prude. …I just couldn't party with the upperclassmen, that's all. Ugh. Who was I kidding? B.V. was so right. This would be my only chance to have Chris see me as just Alexis, and not Alexis-Ryan's-sister.

How is it at all possible to have the coolest parents ever be 'not so cool' in such a dire situation. …And how did Mom know Nichole was a trollop?

I scoffed. Who didn't know that? Anyway, I was royally screwed until I figured a way to get out of this, while still saving face in front of Sky. The girl was the sweetest, but UGH could she gloat…

Then it hit me like a giant light bulb. The words, **'sneak out' **flashed right before my very eyes. It was perfect. It would be easy. There was no possible way that anything could go wrong.

…Four hours later as I made my way into Nichole's house with a throbbing ankle, a painful cut on the inside of my cheek, and possibly a sprained wrist I realized that I would kill myself before I ever uttered those words again.

Sneaking out…yeah. Not my best laid out plan.

I hope you guys enjoyed it! And yep, I introduced more characters of TSACII. Skylar, and B.V. (Bridget-Victoria). I think it's a bit obvious whose daughters those are. Especially since one is her cousin with what could be considered an eccentric name.

Love you all, and I'm sorry for the delay! Please review,

Keyarrah


	17. The Putting Together Of The Pieces

Okay, guys

Here's the revision of Chapter 17!

The party died down very quickly soon after Ms. Desal discovered that her date was floating during 'The Monster Mash'. Obviously, the woman let out a loud shriek and the Box Ghost fled. Mr. Lancer in an attempt to regain order in the large mass of students who were either having conniptions or laughing in amusement, stood on a chair…or at least tried to.

The long white sheet that he adorned for his ghost costume somehow got stuck under the front right leg of the chair. Tumbling to the floor, Mr. Lancer made a mad grab at his sheet, which was still stuck.

Clad in only American flag boxers and a sweat stained (used-to-be-white-but-was-now-yellow) wife-beater, Mr. Lancer frantically tried to cover himself. Emma grabbed her dark pink digital camera and snapped away. She handed the camera to Roxie with a smirk replied,

"Assignment complete." Roxie mock applauded.

Ready to go, the girls chatted amicably amongst themselves as they made their way back to the dorms. Danny would be following them shortly, but he had gone to look for Tucker first. Following at a reasonable distance behind her friends, Jazz walked, or rather trudged through the halls. She'd been quiet ever since the Norah Jones song had ended.

When Danny raised a questioning eyebrow at her, she had only turned away and stared at the door; the exit that Dash had taken just minutes before. Jazz didn't even laugh at Lancer, she just turned and watched in silence before continuing her dull trance.

As they walked she slid a lone finger along the cool walls, feeling an odd sort of satisfaction every time her finger hit a bump or a groove in the wall. She was not sad. She most definitely knew that for a fact.

She was also not discouraged. What would she have to be discouraged for? What she was feeling was not even close to those emotions. She was experiencing the tugging feeling of disillusion. She had finally unwrapped the mystery of Dash Baxter, and yet now here she was, more confused than ever. Oh, and the way that his parents had looked. She mused on this as they walked up the stairs.

"…you know, I really am surprised that Paulina didn't come dressed as Danny Phantom." Jazz zoned in and out of their conversation as she lost herself in her own thoughts again.

The look that Mr. Baxter wore seemed familiar like a very distant memory. She'd seen it before, that much she knew.

"…yeah, well, we'd better get ready for tomorrow." She heard Emma say. "The moms are coming."

Ashley groaned.

"Huzzah. I am so not anticipating this. She is not going to be a happy camper tomorrow. She's missing a counseling session with Dad for this." Ashley explained dryly.

Sam said nothing as they went up the last of the stairs, but her lips did purse. Jazz's door was right there, a little right of the end of the stairs.

_**Counseling session…**_

The words twirled around in her head as they told her goodnight. She took a few more steps and waved to them awkwardly.

_**Counseling session…counseling session…**_

Her mind then went to back to the dance…

"_**Now, Dashton."…**_

"_**Now, Dashton."…**_

"_**Now, C-" **_

As Jazz touched the doorknob she was hit with a memory that felt shocking, like a bolt of something stronger than lightning.

"_**Now, Carter." The woman nodded at her husband tiredly. "We both have headaches and this argument is not making anything any better. Now let's go before Mayor Masters thinks we're sneaking away instead of just getting a bit of air."**_

_**The man said nothing, but he crossed his arms and glanced at Jazz before they made their way up the walkway of Mayor Master's mansion. Jazz noticed that his eyes held a steely reserve. **_

"_**Jazz! Come on! We gotta hurry up and get back home so we can pack. I'm supposed to meet Paulina!" Danny called from her parents' RV. **_

"_**Whatever. Ugh," Jazz looked down at her phone only to see that the battery had died. **_

"_**Gimmie your phone, Dan. I gotta check on Annica. She's pretty upset about her dad dating again. Sam said that she called her and told her that he left Annica a note saying that he'd be gone before she left. Probably with that woman." **_

_**Danny handed over his phone and gave her a quizzical look. "Sam who?" **_

"_**Manson." She answered, dialing Annica's cellphone number. **_

"_**Wait…your friend Sam? The pretty one with the purple eyes?" Danny questioned. **_

"_**Amethyst," Jazz corrected. "And yes. Her." **_

"_**Is that your girlfriend, Daniel?" Mayor Masters questioned with a smirk, breaking away from Maddie and Jack. **_

"_**No. She's not." Jazz noticed how defensive he got all of a sudden. He totally had a crush on Sam, and she knew it. But something told her she wasn't the only one who did.**_

"_**Excuse me, I must bid my guests adieu. It appears some of them are leaving early." He gestured towards three people headed towards a shiny and expensive looking silver car. **_

"—_**And if you think that you are going to get away with embarrassing me like that young lady, you've got another thing coming. I don't care if it takes months to get you transferred out of Wakefield and into your sister's school. You're going!" A woman in a dress wearing sunglasses and a scarf wrapped around her head marched a slender blonde girl out of the mayor's house. A blond man with a brown suit and matching hat followed. **_

"_**Quiet, dear." The blond man said. "You are making the fact that this whole thing is supposed to be secret pointless with your yelling. Get in the car, sweetie." **_

_**The blonde girl grumbled something and the woman turned to look at her furiously. "Not another word, Ashley!" **_

"Ashley!" Jazz's sharp call forced her friends, including the one that she had called, to turn around to her.

"She speaks!" Roxie grinned. Her grin faded as she saw the frantic look on Jazz's face. "Whoa, spazztic much?"

"Ashley, why did you say you got sent to Casper, again? You embarrassed your mom at some thing didn't you?" Jazz asked hurriedly.

"Uhm, I never did exactly say," Ashley glanced at her older sister. "But yeah. How'd you know?"

Jazz's head felt as if it were whirling around on her shoulders. It all made sense…or did it? She had seen Carter Baxter before, that look was so familiar. She knew it! How could she not remember seeing Ashley? Jazz's eyes traveled to Ashley's hair.

"You were regularly blonde…" she whispered realization. "Did you dye your hair after you got in trouble?" Jazz questioned.

Ashley nodded her head in confusion.

"As my last act of defiance, yeah. How'd you know?" Ashley asked numbly.

"I was there…" Jazz murmured to herself.

The others stood there in confusion, occasionally looking at each other as if one of the others held a clue as to what Ashley and Jazz were talking about.

"Jazz, Ash, what's going on?" Sam questioned. She led Ashley further down the hallway towards their older friend and gestured for the others to follow.

"Yeah, start talking because you look like you're three coughs away from being lugged into the _'Happy Hotel' _Wink. Wink." Emma said, eyeing her carefully.

Jazz took a deep breath and began her explanation.

"Remember Christmas break? Annica, you called me one night really upset. Your dad was talking about dating again since it had been awhile since your mom passed. Remember?"

Annica nodded. "Yeah. I called you at home but you weren't there. You were at the mayor's house, you said."

Jazz agreed. "Yeah, I was. Mayor Masters. Mayor _Vlad_ Masters." She turned to Sam. "'Vlad' sound familiar to you?"

Sam paused for a moment before answering. "Yeah. That's that ghost that started the whole ghost fight with Danny…Phantom." She added on lamely, but only Jazz caught her slip-up.

"The mayor? You mean _'Oh! Look at me, I'm so fantabulous and mayor-like'_ the mayor?" Emma gaped.

"You mean the mayor is that freaky ghost that tried to drop me on my head?" Ashley demanded to know. "Well then, fine," she growled not waiting for an answer. "I'm glad I screwed up Mom and Dad's marriage counseling session with that creep."

"Mom and Dad were in marriage counseling back in December? You mean they didn't just start this?" Sam asked.

Ashley nodded and Jazz continued. "You called Danny's phone, Annica. Remember, my phone didn't have battery that whole weekend that we spent there? Well, when Danny got the call, he ran down to Masters' library, where I was."

"Of course _you_ were there." Roxie interjected.

"Vlad must have heard the call." Jazz explained. The others were still confused.

"Jazz, even if Mayor Masters is that freaky ghost what does that have to do with Annica's dad?" Raven questioned. Jazz sighed.

"Everything, Rae. The mayor had just propositioned Danny. He asked him to help him with something Phantom related. Danny told him no. Vlad promised to do anything in his power to get Danny to change his mind." She explained.

"That must be why he came here and crashed into the school. He was looking for Danny, and then Phantom appeared. Phantom must have been protecting Danny. Do you think Danny's protecting Phantom's secret?" Roxie asked.

Jazz and Sam both shrugged. "I believe so, but whatever it is, I know Danny's fine and taken care of." Jazz lied smoothly.

"That still doesn't explain what Annica's dad has to do with any of this." Emma said.

"Wait, I'm getting there. Okay, so what's the most important thing to Danny?…Family." Jazz answered.

"Vlad must have gotten the notion that he would just persuade Danny by using me, my mom, and my dad. What he so blindly forgot was that duh, my parents are ghost hunters. Practically everything we have is laced with ghost-repellant. So he couldn't touch any of us. He could only make empty threats. Then he heard me on the phone with you, Annica."

Annica's eyes widened. "He was going to use me to get to you."

"And what better way to get to you than to use your dad…" Sam filled in.

"And the perfect way to get to your dad would be using that marriage counseling seminar as a ploy." Raven said lastly.

Roxie looked irritable. "Uhm, hello. Can we stop speaking in turn like we're rolling in the Mystery Machine? Because personally, I prefer our usual organized chaos. Oh, and f.y.i., we're standing in the middle of a friggen seemingly empty corridor. So while you guys are pulling an attempt at being the Scooby Gang, someone could be hearing this whole thing."

Before one of them could reply, a voice said, "She's right you know."

For the second time that night, Jazz turned to face Dash Baxter. He had changed out of his costume and was wearing black jeans, a Casper High hoodie and a pair of black Vans. Jazz cursed her heart for skipping a beat, especially because she didn't know whether it was from fear and shock or something else that she'd rather not think about.

"By the way, Emma. Charlie McKinley thinks you're hot. He was gonna ask you out or something like that tonight, but you flew off before he could find you." Dash's eyes never left Jazz's as he spoke.

"What are you doing here?" Sam's voice was stiff with distrust. Dash turned to her apologetically.

"About what happened, Mans…Sam." He corrected himself. "It was stupid. Stupid, wrong, and immature. I got what I deserved when your boyfriend knocked my lights out, and I'm sorry. You can believe me…or you can not. It's up to you, but I do mean it." He extended his hand to her.

Sam looked him in the eyes carefully, and glanced at Jazz for a moment before setting her glance upon Dash again. Her eyes were hard and flaming for more than a moment until they softened.

"Apology accepted, Dash. …But do it again, or anything like it, and I will kill you." She smiled sweetly. Dash nodded and gave a soft laugh.

Now that the tension had broken, and the others seemed to accept Dash's apology to Sam, the conversation continued.

"Dash knows that we know about his parents being here. Now come on, for once Roxie said something logical. Let's go in." She nudged her dorm room open and closed the door behind them.

Usually she felt lonely not having a roommate, but in that instance she was glad that she wouldn't have to worry about an unwanted visitor bursting in. Deciding to question Dash about his mysterious appearance later, she continued on after they were all settled in.

"Dash, were your parents going through marriage counseling?" Jazz inquired. She received a nod.

"Yeah, they seemed fine, but all of a sudden they started fighting whenever I was around. Next thing I know, they tell me that they're separating and they appear at school. Now my mom is seeing some guy. I don't know who he is for sure, but she says we have to keep it quiet."

Annica looked as if she could have broken something. "Yeah, because it's my father that your mother sunk her claws into." She snarled bitterly.

Ashley put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "I know this bites, but it's not Dash's fault. If anything, this seems like it's _Vlad's_ fault."

Sam agreed, mildly impressed by her sister. "She's right. So I'm guessing that he used Sophia to get to Annica, which in time would help him get to Jazz…to get to Danny? That seems like a lot of work just to get to Danny. Besides, it doesn't seem as if it worked anyway."

Jazz, who sat cross-legged on her queen sized bed agreed with her. "It didn't. Which is why he moved on to the next family: the Mansons."

Ashley and Sam looked bewildered. "What?" they asked in unison.

"When we were leaving, Danny mentioned Sam. All Vlad must have heard was the last name 'Manson'. It was perfect, since the Mansons were already there coincidentally, or not, who knows what he did to get your parents there. But what I do suppose happened was that when Vlad broke through the ceiling, grabbed the only Manson girl he knew of—Ashley."

Sam's mind went back to that day in the infirmary.

"_I suggest that you listen to me, young Daniel. I would highly, highly recommend that you take my offer into consideration." Vlad said coldly._

"_And if I don't?" asked the daring voice of Danny Phantom._

"_Then…Danny, I will crush, break, tear, and mangle your world, and everything in it." He answered. "Especially," he replied, his cold, red glowing eyes flashing to Sam, who was on the ground, looking up at them in bewilderment. "the things you care about the most."_

_Danny followed his gaze, and saw Sam, whose amethyst eyes were filled with worry, concern, and anxiety. "Leave her out of this…" he growled, keeping his voice low so that Sam wouldn't overhear._

Danny had no idea that she had overheard. After hearing her cry out her sister's name, the older man (if one could even dare to call him that) must've realized that he had the wrong Manson. So the only way that he could have corrected it would be to get them both…but it would have to be somewhere out of sight where Danny couldn't do anything. But where would that be? Where…—home.

"My mother." Sam blurted out her thoughts. "After he got us mixed up he must've done something to our parents…then my mother came to get us…to bring us straight to him." Sam's eyes watered a little.

"That's right. We didn't see him. We saw him out of the window but we didn't see him. And mom said she was with him, but we _didn't __**see**__ him._ He was right there the whole time." A tear trailed down her face.

"Sam, he must've been controlling her. Ghosts can do that, can't they? So he must've been controlling her like he controlled his parents." Emma forked a thumb in Dash's direction. "Your mother may not be the best mother in the world, but I highly doubt that she'd just hand you right over for dead."

Sam gave a dry gulp and wiped at her eyes. "I know…but…I yelled at her. I basically told her that I hated her for something that she had no control over. If anything were to happen to her…" she trailed off miserably.

Jazz stopped her thoughts. "No. Sam, we're not thinking that way. We're figuring out what's going on so that we can stop it. Now we just have to think, what's common in all of these cases."

Ashley wrapped a supportive arm around her sister, and she was reminded of the day that their 'mother' had come to take them away. Theories of what could have happened if they had ended up being dragged away warped her brain.

She pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind and decided not to fear what had not and what would not happen. It was a waste of time and emotion, she figured.

Dash, who had been eerily quiet since Annica's verbal attack against his mother, spoke up.

"Well, my mom's been getting really bad headaches. And I remember Paulina getting headaches frequently after the ghost attack…but then again, something tells me she's always been possessed."

His joke went ignored as six pairs of eyes slowly turned to Annica. Headaches…

"Annica…" Roxie asked slowly. "When was the last time you had a really bad headache?"

Yeah, I know. I left you all hanging a bit there, but yay! At last there's some incentive as to what's going on, and as promised this chapter was out a lot sooner. I hope you all liked it, and I'll be glad to clear up any questions/confusion.

Keyarrah


	18. The Mysteries Unraveled In Pain

Hey guys, I just wanted to thank all of you who've been reviewing as faithfully as you have. It means a lot to me, and I am very interested in hearing what you all have to say about The Secret Assignment Club, and what you would like to see more of, or brought into the fic in general before we wrap things up. I'm also really interested in hearing the progress that you think or you do not think that the fanfic has made throughout the time that it's taken me (and Lightning Streak) to write it.

Also, I wanted to add to MonkeyBallWarrior that your review was greatly appreciated, and 'Adopting The Enemy' as well as a couple of my other fics will be worked on shortly after TSAC wraps up. )

Thanks to you who have reviewed, and are helping me get to my goal of 300 reviews for this fanfic!

* * *

The brunette slowly lifted her fingertips to her right temple and looked at each of her friends in horror-based shock.

"Y-you think I might be possessed?" Annica asked with a laugh. "That's…—it's not possible. It's not plausible, right?" She turned to Jazz uneasily. "Right, Jazz?"

Jazz looked away diffidently without a reply. Annica gave another disparaging laugh of disbelief, causing Raven to speak up.

"Annica, we're not accusing you or anything it's just—"

"Oh, of course you're not accusing me of anything, you're just _supposing_ that maybe, just **maybe** I might be a freaking ghost!" Ashley watched carefully as Annica's hazel eyes lit up with anger…no wait, they were lighting up with something else.

"Uhm, guys?"

"This is ridiculous, alright? Now, this whole thing about Sophia? Yeah, I followed along with it. THAT was understandable." Annica went on raging. All of her friends except Ashley were either looking down or looking elsewhere to avoid eye contact as Dash sat in the corner of the room, busy trying to make himself seem invisible to the raging, usually somewhat shy girl.

"Guys…"

Annica went on, she'd never been so furious in her life. These were her friends, or at least they were supposed to be. Now it seemed as if they'd just thrown her under the bus in their stupid mystery solving. What did she have to do with this? Nothing. _She_ was the victim if anything. Stupid Jazz and her brother got this _Vlad_ character to drag her and her father into this because the little Fenton boy liked to chit-chat it up with the undead. Hadn't she and her family been through enough? Britannica was beyond raging at this point.

Ashley's eyes widened, but she could only clear her throat loudly in fear that she would cause Annica to have a major freak-out.

"Erm…something's wrong…" Ashley mumbled to deaf ears. Annica's eyes were glowing quite furiously. How did they not see this?! If Ashley didn't know any better, she'd think that they were about to…

"But if you guys think that **I** have something to do with this, then you know what?! YOU ALL CAN JUST—"

"Annica, turn around!" Ashley shouted, finding her voice.

Ashley grabbed Annica's shoulders harshly and turned her to the mirror as they all looked up. Just in time, whatever was about to come out of Annica's eyes reflected off of the mirror and hit centimeters just above Jazz's head. Jazz her eyes frantic, slowly put a hand to the top of her scalp to feel that the edges of her hair were singed.

Annica stood shocked, staring as the neon glow in her eyes faded, and her normal eye color began to appear again.

"DUDE! YOU HAVE HEAT VISION!" Dash leapt up in amazement.

Roxie rolled her eyes and muttered, "Insensate ingrate…" Sam elbowed her lightly.

"It's more like ecto-vision, Dash." Sam walked over to the smoking hole and peered inside of it curiously. They were more than lucky that not everyone had left the party yet, and even more lucky that the room on the other side of the wall wasn't another person's dorm, but a utility closet.

"I've seen Phantom and the creepy mayor use that stuff. It wasn't out of their eyes though. It was their hands." Emma input.

"Yeah, Jazz, your parents are the ghost experts. What is that stuff?" Raven inquired.

"Ectoplasm." Jazz answered simply. "Not heat vision." She turned to a certain someone.

"Ectoplasm is basically ghost emanation, meaning that it just comes out of them. There's a whole scientific league dedicated to new discoveries about the stuff since not much is known about it, at least not by humans. There's a whole lot of controversy on whether or not it's lethal. Some say it is since it appears to be close in relation to atomic waste. Other specialists say that it's as harmless, yet as disgusting as snot." Jazz shrugged.

"Ghost snot just shot out of your eyes." Ashley's nose wrinkled in disdain at Annica. "Lovely."

Annica sat on the edge of the bed and threw a withering glance at the hole in the wall that she'd just created. "I'm possessed. I'm a walking, talking, breathing possessee. My head is going to start spinning and I'm going to start talking like I daily smoke bushels of cigars, aren't I?" Annica's eyes began to water.

"Uhm, two questions…one, when you get pissed shooty ghost snot stuff comes out, we got that, so can we not find out what happens when you cry? Two, is that really a word and if so exactly how many 's' and 'e's are there in 'possessee'? 'Cause that one really threw me…" Roxie made a throwing hand gesture.

"I'm gonna throw something at _you_ if you don't shut it." Jazz muttered. "Look, Annica if we never noticed it until now, which kind of sucks and is annoyingly ironic, then I'm sure it can't be that bad. If headaches are what causes this, then we'll just have to stop the headaches."

All six girls sat around Annica comfortingly, and even Dash made an attempt by sitting at the bottom of the bed.

"Well, if it helps…I've got Tylenol." Roxie offered. She was answered with a loud series of 'no's.

"If you think we're gonna let _**you**_ handle medicine again, you're out of your mind." Ashley told her.

"Not only that, but it'll take truckloads of the stuff to stop my kind of headaches." Annica sighed in defeat.

Dash, finally gaining enough courage to speak once more, got up to kneel so that he could put a hand on Annica's shoulder. "Well, if it's any consolation, I'm sorry about all of this that's happening to you. I may not know how you feel to have this going on, but I know how I feel about this happening to my mother, so I can imagine how your friends must feel. All in all, whatever we have to do, I'll help."

Jazz gave a soft smile. "Great. Now, let's start thinking about this. When did your first headache occur?" Annica bit her lip thoughtfully.

"Hmm…the day that Jacqueline came to visit. Remember, I woke up in the infirmary? I just remember getting out of bed, making it halfway to class and then I woke up with Nurse Gregory putting cold towels on my head."

"Alright, well now that we've got a first day we can—wait, hold it. You said you were on your way to class? That's not possible. I clearly remember Raven saying that she saw you leaving second period early, and Danny said that he'd seen you bolting down the hallway after you saw the 'Mother's Love' fliers." Roxie replied slowly.

"Nuh-uh. Not possible, I was on my way to first period when I apparently fell out. And I didn't see Raven until you guys showed up at the infirmary. I was going to tell you what happened but—"

"The ghost attack." Sam concluded. "You were about to tell us about how you fainted, I remember. Your sister had just asked you when Vlad picked up Ashley."

"Coincidence?" Raven wondered aloud.

"Highly doubt it." Jazz shook her head.

The seven of them plus Dash sat in silence for a moment before Dash spoke once more. "Speaking of Danny, does he know about all of this?"

The seven of them looked up at each other alarmingly. No, he didn't. They had been talking and talking about him, and how his life could potentially be in danger, and yet he had no clue.

"I'll go get him, you guys try and figure out what's going on." Sam jumped up, straightened out her long black dress, and headed down the stairs.

As worried as Sam was, she couldn't help but laugh at some of the costumes that she hadn't seen before when they were at the party. She passed several playboy bunnies, a few cartoon characters, way too many Danny Phantoms for her comfort zone, and even one girl wearing pearls, and carrying a tray of cookies with a bloody knife and a bottle of prescription pills. She overheard her saying to a girl dressed as Winnie the Pooh that she was the new Desperate Housewife. Sam could only snicker, especially since that was one of Emma's favorite shows.

Halfway down the stairs she heard the familiar (but horrible) rendition of 'Ghostbusters' being sung at the top of someone's lungs. She already knew who it was without having to go the rest of the way. She decided to wait for them to come up and see her.

She barely listened as Tucker sang until he suddenly stopped. "Hey Dan, did you see Paulina tonight?" Sam's attention snapped to the pair coming up the stairs.

"Yeah, I did." She could imagine Danny shrugging.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"What'd you think?" Tucker asked, attempting to coax an answer out of his best friend.

"Tucker, I _didn't_ think. Not about her anyway. I was with Sam the whole night. That's how it was, and that's how I wanted it to be. If I still wanted to be with Paulina, I would still be with Paulina. I was on the verge of breaking up with her when she dumped me anyhow." Danny answered. Sam smiled to herself. What was she so worried about?

'Maybe I should listen to their conversations more often…' she thought to herself jokingly.

"Whoa. So do you love her?" Tucker asked, his joking tone suddenly serious.

'Or maybe I should just run and hide now!' she thought, panicking.

"Who, Sam?" Their voices were getting closer; they were only a short distance away. They would turn in the stairwell and see her standing there and Danny would be caught with whatever answer he would give his friend.

"No, Princess Leia." Tucker's tone dripped with sarcasm.

They were about six steps, and one turn away…

"I don't know I mean I—Oh. Hey Sam." Danny looked startled.

Sam, who was pretending to look disinterested and as if she'd been dozing off, blinked a couple of times and gave a lazy smile.

"Hey guys. I've been waiting for you guys to come out for a while. Everyone's in Jazz's room, come on."

The boys followed, both unsure of exactly how much Sam had heard.

* * *

About thirty minutes of explaining (twenty about Vlad, ten minutes about why Dash was in his sister's room) Danny sat slumped against Jazz's door in shock and amazement. It took the girls one night to figure out what he'd been trying to figure out for months.

"So you think that Vlad is using Dash's mom, Paulina, and _Annica_ to try and kill me?" Danny questioned, he couldn't help but give a wary look to the brunette girl as she sat to the side of him. She could only nod apologetically.

"He almost used Sam, Danny." Jazz told her younger brother.

"Just like in your dreams!" Tucker blurted out. Danny sent him a dark look. That just happened to be a dream that he'd rather not remember.

* * *

"_Sam…where are you going?" Danny called into the darkened corridors of the old school. _

_He could hear the eerie pitter-patter of the rain against the old foggy windows of their school. He couldn't remember why he was following Sam. He couldn't even remember how he'd come upon her, or how he'd gotten out of his bed for that matter. He'd followed her this far, and now she'd suddenly stopped at a staircase in front of an old classroom._

"_Sam…?" Danny questioned. He approached her ever so slowly. Was she crying?_

_Sam froze and turned around slowly. Her eyes were closed, and the shadows of the night danced on her pale face._

"_Uhm, Sam…glad to see me?" Danny joked nervously. What was wrong?_

_Danny felt a sinister, morbid chill run up his spine as he met her cold and icy amethyst eyes with his own glowing green ones._

"_I'm not Samantha, Mr. Phantom. But I'm still so very, very, __**very**__ glad to see you, Mr. Phantom…" the Sam imposter informed with a deep throaty feminine chuckle._

"_Y-you're not Sam…" Danny stuttered, backing up. The imposter advanced toward him until he found himself trapped against a corridor wall._

_He looked her in the eyes and saw that they were glazed over. This definitely wasn't Sam._

"_Oh…you're so very brilliant aren't you? But yet, not brilliant enough. How could you not see how I inhabited Roxanne? How I inhabited Raven. Annica. Emily. Your very own sister, Daniel."_

_"Poor little Jazzy. And little Ashley. Meek and stupid little Ashley. And now...the love of your life, Daniel. Are you that dense that you couldn't even feel the chill as you neared closer to me? So love struck that you didn't feel your ghost sense?"_

_Danny felt as if he were being smothered in thick smog as 'Sam' stepped closer. "If it helps," she hissed, wrapping a dainty hand around his throat._

_The impostor forced Danny to look her in the eyes, and Danny felt a gut wrenching stab inside of him as Sam's beautiful warm colored eyes flashed back and forth between her own and the dull, icy eyes. It was almost as if she were fighting it off; trying to win against whatever inhabited her body._

_Suddenly, for a moment, 'Sam' began to convulse as she kept her deathly grip upon Danny's neck._

"_I love you too," she murmured before her eyes went cold again._

"_I __**loved**__ you...but you lied to me Danny." She snarled, gripping his throat tighter._

_Danny was beginning to loose consciousness._

"_You lied to me, Danny..."_

_"Danny...Danny..."_

_Sam was beginning to fade just as the rest of Danny's world._

* * *

"Dreams? What dreams?" Sam asked in alarmed confusion.

"Nothing, I…I just keep having these weird dreams, and in one of them, I remember that Sam had been taken away, and then she was just in the hallway and I was following her, and it wasn't her. She was talking about how you were all possessed, including Ashley, who I'd never even met when I had that dream, so it was weird." Danny shook his head to rid himself of the dream. It seemed so real.

"Taken away?" Annica looked at her friends before looking back to the dark haired boy. "Danny, you said 'dreams'. What other dreams have you had?"

They all sat to listen to Danny as they made themselves comfortable. Roxie (still ever so glad to see Tucker alive, well, and oblivious) chugged from her water bottle. Mystery solving made her thirsty.

"Well, there was this one where Paulina had just come back from making out with Dash (Jazz's jaw clenched until she realized what she was doing and she stopped) and Mrs. Baxter was talking to Vlad. She got a headache, I guess like the ones you're talking about and they were talking about…now that I think about it, they were talking about Annica." Danny rubbed the back of his neck.

"Way to hold out information, Fenton!" Ashley threw one of Jazz's pillows at him.

"Guys," Danny laughed and his cape made a rustling sound as he moved. "The dreams, while seemingly going along with what you guys think, are incredibly farfetched. I mean, I even had a dream about Tucker being unconscious in a dress." Danny, Tucker, and Dash laughed.

"Oh sh—" Roxie coughed and sputtered as she chocked and almost spit out her water.

"D-Danny? Just curious, what color was the dress?" Annica wondered.

Danny thought for a moment. "Red. What does it matter?"

"It doesn't." Raven blurted out. "Danny, is there any possibility that your dreams might actually be coming true?"

Danny shook his head at the same time that Tucker nodded his enthusiastically, his Ghostbusters hat falling over his eyes.

"Dan, tell them about the dream that you had about Ashley!" Tucker urged. Ashley raised an eyebrow.

"Whoa, buddy! Wrong Manson to be dreaming about." Ashley held her hands up in protest. Danny shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Not **that** type of dream, Ash. It was about you and your sock friend." Danny explained. Ashley's eyes lit up.

"MR. WALLACE-HEIPELSTIEMER THE THIRD!" Ashley beamed.

"Yeah, him." Danny waved a dismissive hand. "Tuck, you thought I was crazy before."

Tucker nodded. "You've got to admit that it sounds a bit crazy, but after what the girls, Dash, and even you yourself said, you've also got to admit that it fits together a little too well. And for it to be figments of nine peoples' imaginations, is more crazy than the whole situation itself."

Danny still seemed unsure. "Tuck, the dreams might be influenced by what's going on around me right now. You know that dreams never really mean what they seem to. Maybe it's…I don't know. Maybe it's symbolism."

Tucker rolled his eyes. "And that dream that you had about you and Sam being married and having three kids? What do you suppose _that_ symbolizes, hm?"

Sam's eyes flashed to Danny.

"Point received, Tucker. Embarrassment not needed, thanks." Danny mumbled, not making eye contact with his girlfriend.

After they all seemed to be in agreement as to what was going on, it was established that from now on the girls would take turns having Annica bunk with them until they were sure of exactly what was happening. That night, Annica was bunking with Raven, so they decided that they'd better go get some of her things to take into Rae's room. Tired, everyone began to follow suit. Jazz smiled to herself as she saw Danny secretly kiss Sam goodnight while Tucker and Roxie stood next to each other talking awkwardly. She'd have to ask Roxie just how their date went tonight.

Everyone filed out of Jazz's room, quite ready for a long night's sleep (though they were all definitely in for a restless night) and to change out of their costumes. The last to leave was Dash, but as he made his way to the doorway, he lingered.

"Well, tonight was…interesting." He replied for lack of better word. Jazz gave a troubled but soft smile and nodded.

"Yes, that it was." She agreed. Dash made small steps towards the door as if he wasn't quite ready to leave. To fill in the silence, Jazz was ever so tempted to ask him what he was doing in the corridor, and how he'd gotten away from his parents. A small voice deep inside of her, a voice that was still and sweet told her the answer. He was coming to see her. Mentally shaking off any thoughts of Dash Baxter and herself she went to say goodbye only to be cut off by Dash.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Dash asked. Jazz could only nod again.

"Yeah, tomorrow." She watched as he left before closing her door behind him and leaning against it with a shallow sigh that seemed to reach to her heart.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow was the day in which they would not only have to face their mothers (which would be so much easier if some of them were their actual selves) but Vlad, too. Not only that, but there was Annica. Sure, they had figured out a very large part of what was going on, but Jazz couldn't help but feel that there was more missing from the puzzle. Jazz had no idea what was to happen the next day, but she could be sure of one thing…it would be the end of something. What? She didn't exactly know, and she wasn't too thrilled to be finding out.

* * *

Yay, all. Sorry that this was a little bit of a filler/continuation of Chapter 17, but these were just loose ends that must be tied up. The climax of the story is definitely going to be the next chapter, in which there's a major confrontation with Vlad. Well, there's only four more chapters up; three chapters left if you don't include the epilogue, which is sort of an introduction to TSAC II. I got a couple of "Hey!"s when it came to the last chapter since there was no TSAC II preview. Well, that's because I figured that we're close enough to the end that you'll get the full thing soon! On the same day (or maybe the next day) that the epilogue is uploaded, the very first chapter of the sequel will be too. I hope I answered all of your questions!

Keyarrah


	19. The Anticipation In The Unexpected

Hey all

This is the last revision being made! The rest of the chapters were written recently, and need no revising! Thanks for bearing with me in the revision department.

_Old AN:_

Hey all! I am so excited for this chapter. I'm also incredibly hyped because I have 300+ reviews! –insert excited scream- Special thanks and shout out to** jade-kwl-name-eva **who was my 300th reviewer. Well, guys there are only going to be three or four more chapters, including an epilogue. I'm excited, yet bummed at the same time.

**Also, in regards to the poll of who's your favorite 'TSAC' girl it's:**

**Sam (21 votes) - 72 percent**

**Ashley (5 votes) - 17 percent**

**Roxie (2 votes) – 6 percent**

**Jazz (1 vote) – 3 percent**

**Annica (0 votes) – 0 percent**

**Emma (0 votes) – 0 percent**

**Raven (0 votes) – 0 percent **

**Poor Annica, Emma, and Raven! No love for them? Haha.**

Don't forget to vote in time for the epilogue!

Enjoy this one guys, it's a long one…and another two-parter. This chapter is almost 6,000 words!!

When Annica awoke she felt a mélange of worry, sickness, and anticipation. From the bed, she could see Raven's otherwise still body lightly moving up and down in time with her breathing, lying on the floor peacefully. She saw Roxie's red dress lying next to her pale yellow one on Raven's desk. Raven and Roxie had decided to switch dresses so not to arise suspicion with any of the boys. Annica sat up and gave a deep sigh. Her feelings were all over the place, and it felt as if she didn't know who she was anymore.

It was like finding out that you were adopted or something. The life that you thought was your own turns out not to be, and you're stuck frantically attempting to pick up the fragments of your new and unheard of life to figure out who you really are.

Making a sorry attempt to shake those thoughts from her mind, she got up fully, careful not to step on her friend. She felt bad for causing her friend to be kicked out of her own bed. Raven had insisted, yes, but that didn't make Annica feel any better about it.

It also didn't make her forget about why she was in here, or about why she'd be sleeping in Emma's room tonight, and Jazz's room the next.

Her friends, so worried about her protection (and everyone else's, though that they would not say) that they wanted her to be with them at all times. Annica hated being a burden for any reason whatsoever so for this to be occurring, it made her really feel useless. It made her feel…it made her feel like it was her fault.

It made her feel…flat.

_Five-year-old Annica sat in the passenger seat of her mother's three-year-old car. She was so proud of herself. She had finally convinced her mother to let her sit in the 'big people seat' in the front._

_Her mother told her yes, only because she had been a very good girl in the supermarket earlier, and didn't cry when she told had been told that she couldn't have certain things that she'd picked up off of the shelves. Annica beamed excitedly at her mother as they drove on the busy highway._

"_Mama, I'm hungry." Annica told her softly. _

_Brianne Reed reached behind her, never taking her eyes off of the road, and handed her daughter an orange as she changed lanes. _

"_Eat that for now. We're just gonna go to one more store a few exits ahead to get Jacqueline's soccer equipment that she needs for the new season, and then I promise you that we'll go home and I'll make pasta." Mrs. Reed told her daughter. _

_Annica nodded. She dug tiny fingernails into the orange only to result with orange peel dug up underneath her small fingernails. She looked to her mother for help only to see that she was switching on the windshield wipers. Annica hadn't even noticed that it had begun to rain. _

"_Now what is this? Where did this lunatic get his license?" she heard her mother murmur to herself. Annica's little ears perked up at the sound of screeching. _

_She noticed a black truck speeding forward and going past them as he swerved in and out of the cars surrounding them. _

"_Annica, pull your seatbelt nice and tight. This maniac in front of us is driving crazy through this downpour and our exit is right here now hold o—"_

_All Annica heard next was a thundering crash. The black truck that had sped past them and backed up trying to get to the same exit as they were and crashed head into them. _

_**One.**_

"_BABY! HOLD ON!" she heard her mother scream to her as they spun rapidly into a red car. _

_**Two.**_

_Annica heard her mother begin to cry as she tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her knuckles white from grasping on so hard. Annica gasped as she saw her child seat in the back seat. It was crushed. _

_The small girl felt dizzy as the car continued to spin. They bumped and crashed three more times and all she heard was her mother's sobs in the background of her busy mind. _

_**Three. **_

_**Four.**_

_**Five.**_

"_Annica," her mother sobbed. "Britannica, are you listening?" Annica nodded, only to see that her mother was not looking at her. _

"_Yes, Mama." She answered feebly._

"_Don't be afraid." Her mother told her as the pitter-pattering sounds of rain hit the cracked and busted windshield. Annica felt the rain hit her and it felt like salt grains being rubbed on her delicate face—painful and unusual. Only then did she realize that she was bleeding a little._

"_I'm not, Mommy." Annica assured her, afraid to look anywhere but her mother. "Mama, I'm not."_

"_Good." Brianne told her gently and she clutched on even harder, her hazel brown eyes hard with determination. "Not just now, Annica. Don't be afraid of anything ever." _

_**Six.**_

_**Seven.**_

_Annica closed her eyes and tried so hard to ignore the pain that she felt as a blue sedan that was trying to steer clear of them was pushed into the passenger door by the black truck, which was still trying to get out of the way. Where was he going to go?_

_**Eight.**_

_The black truck hit them again. Mama stopped crying. Annica didn't dare open her eyes._

_**Nine.**_

_**Ten.**_

_**Eleven.**_

_The car had begun to stop spinning. Mama still said nothing. Annica was determined not to be afraid, but she kept her eyes closed still. _

_**Twelve.**_

_The car had finally stopped spinning and Annica noticed the red and blue lights from where she sat, uncomfortably smushed to her left by the dented car door. She couldn't see her mother. The roof of the car had caved in. Her car seat was gone. The groceries were scattered on the rainy highway, and all Annica had left was the orange with the fingernail scrape marks._

_She hardly remembered being pulled out of the car by the fireman. She hardly remembered the big, strong blonde man telling her how brave and pretty she was. She hardly remembered seeing the line of the twelve cars including the black one that were all huddled and smashed together, her car being in the middle of them._ _All Annica remembered was seeing them take her mother out of their car, if it could be called that much, with a white sheet over her body._

"_Mama!" Annica cried out. In her haste, she dropped the orange and watched helplessly as it rolled away until a speeding EMT ran over it, smushing it…flat. The fireman held her back from running to get it as fat tears streamed down her now dirty and bruised face._

"_Mama!"_

_Her whole world was now flat…just like her orange._

"_Can you tell me your home number, sweetie?" the fireman asked her._

_Annica nodded. "(714)—…"_

Annica stood there staring at her dress, feeling flat once again.

"_Don't be afraid of anything…" _Her mother's last words to her rang through her head like a ringing bell. It bounced off the edges of her mind and back again until it felt as if it had once again etched inside to stay.

"Annica?" Raven yawned. "You okay?" Annica turned to her friend with a watery smile.

"I'm fine."

Sam and Ashley stood at the entrance to the hall that they'd just been in hours earlier for the 'Spooks-B-Gone' dance.

Sam wore an emerald green dress that went just below her knees, while Ashley chose to wear a purple one that went just above hers. Both dresses were strapless and made of the same soft material.

"I hate this…" Ashley muttered. "We can't do anything about Annica, our mother's pulled a 'Casper' (no pun intended for the school name) and this friggen dress? Yeah. It itches."

Sam leaned against the wall and gave her sister a side glance.

"We're working on the first one, there's nothing we can do about the second one, and the third one? I don't even want to know where." Sam told her sister as she began to open her mouth.

Ashley said nothing as they watched Jazz, Emma, Raven, Roxie, and Annica come down the stairs together. Jazz wore a spaghetti strapped navy blue dress that almost reached her ankles, Emma wore a short-sleeved light orange dress that fluttered down to her calves, Raven wore Roxie's red dress that was thin strapped and was almost the same length as Sam's, Roxie wore Raven's burgundy v-neck dress that was about the same length as her original dress, and Annica wore the quarter sleeved pale yellow dress that touched to her knees exactly.

"I hate this. I hate dressing up." Roxie informed them, as if they didn't already know.

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with. Knowing what we know," Emma looked around them carefully before continuing.

"And knowing who's here, we've got a main objective. Watch out for anything suspicious, stay together, and watch our for each other, most importantly." She looked at Annica as she said this.

She received six solemn nods of agreement.

"Alright. It's about one now, meaning that the guests got here half an hour ago. Danny, Tucker, and Dash are already in there, so…let's go." Jazz opened the doors to the giant hall only to find the banquet in full swing.

Hundreds of finely dressed women loitered around, laughing with other women, hugging their children, taking pictures. The girls didn't get very far until they ran into a familiar looking woman: Maddie Fenton.

The red-haired woman was talking to Danny and Tucker when she saw the seven of them walking towards her. She gasped excitedly and hugged Jazz really tight before going on to Annica, Emma, Roxie, Raven, Ashley, and then finally Sam.

"Oh, Sam. You look so gorgeous and grown up." She smiled to her. Sam smiled nervously.

So worried about seeing her own mother, she forgot about seeing Danny's. Sure, she'd seen Danny's mother before…but not as his girlfriend. Maddie seemed to sense this and she smiled again.

"Don't worry," she whispered to her. "You and Danny are _adorable_. Besides, you are much better than that _Paulina_ girl he seemed to be so infatuated with before."

Sam blushed a bit before turning to Danny with a slight smirk.

"Come on! I need a picture!" she huddled the nine of them together for a photo before scooping Danny and Sam up and forcing them into a picture by themselves.

"Now, Danny, put your arm around her waist." His mother instructed. Danny's eyes widened.

"Mom!" he hissed. Maddie waved him away.

"I want to show your father!" she clicked the button anyway and took a picture of the suddenly very bashful couple.

"Okay, you all can go ahead now. I'll catch up with you later." Maddie promised. The nine of them all gave different goodbyes before they were off again, searching through the crowd.

The next mothers that they ran into were Leona Chaudrey and Audrienna Court. They hugged their daughters respectively, and fawned over them as all of the other mothers were doing to their children.

Mrs. Court seemed disappointed when Emma told them that they had to go, but she let her daughter go anyway.

Before they could find another mother, Cynthia Forrester came up to Roxie and dragged her away after greeting all of the girls, plus Danny and Tucker.

She ignored Roxie's (quite loud) pleas to let her stay with her friends and catch up with her mother later.

It wasn't before long that Mrs. Foley did the same to Tucker and Jacqueline appeared to greet her little sister.

Annica was plagued with the memory from early that morning, and she suddenly remembered why Jacqueline quit soccer.

Finally, towards the back of the banquet hall they spotted the three people they were hoping to see…but not together.

Pamela, Sophia, and Mayor Masters stood chatting amicably with Mr. Lancer. The others went to follow when Sam told them to stay behind for a moment. She and Ashley shared a look. This was something that they needed to do alone.

"Mother." Sam's voice cut through their conversation, and Pamela's eyes lit up.

"Samantha! Ashley!" Pamela smiled brilliantly. "You already know Mr. Lancer of course, and you know Ms. Sophia. This is Mayor Masters."

Vlad took Sam's hand, "Charmed." He attempted to kiss it but she pulled it away right before his lips could touch her skin and she threw him an icy and suspicious glare.

"I'm sure you are, **sir**."

Behind her, Danny fumed and Jazz put a soft and timid hand on her younger brother's shoulder. Vlad obviously had only tried such a gutsy move because he knew that Danny was watching.

Sam ignored her mother's put-out look, as well as Sophia's as Pamela chastised her daughter for her behavior.

"Samantha, how rude."

Oddly enough, Vlad excused himself. "Oh, dear Pamela. Don't fret. I fear that my personality is a bit too…forward. No offense is taken I assure you."

"So what brings you here?" Ashley cut in. "I thought this was for mothers." Vlad laughed and patted her head.

"Well aren't you just a delightful little snoop," Ashley's blood ran cold at the familiar phrase.

"I am sponsoring this wonderful event." Vlad told her.

He then turned back to Sam.

"What an elegant lady you seem to be today. The green in that dress…it seems to bring out your beautiful eyes, Miss. Manson." Before Sam could come up with a biting remark, Sophia spoke.

"Of course it's lovely. Samantha has the same tastes as her dear mother. Especially in the suitor department." Her voice was crisp as usual, but rang with a coldness that was icier than usual…edgier, perhaps.

"What do you mean by that, Sophia?" Pamela questioned, peering at her daughter.

Sophia gave a laugh that sent chills up Ashley's spine. "Why, didn't Samantha tell you about her beau, Daniel Fenton?" Ashley carefully turned to her left and gave Raven a meaningful look.

Raven, getting the message, gestured the others forward. Tucker somehow got Roxie away from her mother and they made their way across the room.

Pamela turned from Sam and back to Sophia, but it wasn't her who spoke next.

"She is referring, Pamela, to the young boy that your daughter _under_ (and I _do_ emphasize on that from how I hear that they got together) handedly stole from my daughter." A tall Latina woman stood before them in a tight red dress with her long hair curled into tight brown curls. Raquel Sanchez glared Sam down, and next to her, Paulina pathetically tried to imitate her mother by putting her hands on her hips and mirroring her glare.

If Paulina was the 'Queen Bee', it was certain that her mother was the 'Empress Wasp'. Paulina's fiery glare and attitude to match was nothing compared to her mother's. They could only be glad that Raquel wasn't their age.

"Mansons." Paulina sneered. Raquel clasped a tight hand onto Paulina's wrist.

"Skank-bag." Ashley sneered back. Pamela merely gave her a stern warning glance.

Dash popped up behind Jazz and whispered, "What's going on? Why's everyone so quiet?" Jazz shushed him but wondered the same thing herself. The whole hall was dead silent as they watched the interaction between Pamela and Raquel. Surely, this wasn't that interesting…

"Something's not right," she murmured to Danny. Danny only gave a brief and subtle nod as they watched Pamela address the other woman in annoyance.

"My daughter, Raquel," Pamela began evenly. "is not a harlot, though the same cannot be said for yours. Now please excuse us, and refrain from butting into conversations that you were not invited into."

Sam and Ashley looked taken aback for a moment, before Sam regained her icy and suspicious composure. Sam went to eye Vlad in contempt only to find out that he was not there.

Damn it. It was a distraction.

Sam's eyes traveled around wildly until in an instant all was pitch black. As fast as the light in the room had left, it was back once again, only to reveal that the room was filled with nothing but Casper High students. Their parents were gone.

Danny's ghost sense went off as he backed up in confusion only to back up into Vlad's clutches.

Vlad, his lips curling into a cruel and sickening smile hissed, "I told you not to test me, didn't I?"

Vlad, who was now in his ghost form, curled his icy fingers around Danny's throat.

A strangled choking sound emerged from Danny that made tears spring to Jazz's eyes in panic, and Sam to pale.

"DANNY!" Jazz, Sam, and Paulina cried out. Jazz and Sam sent harrowing glares in Paulina's direction as the students around them began to scream and panic.

"It's the Wisconsin Ghost!!" a girl screamed.

Various students began to flee towards to doors, much to Vlad's annoyance. He rose up close to the ceiling and sent a hand gesture towards the door, shutting them tight, and trapping in the hundred plus students who'd almost made their escape.

"Students of Casper High," Vlad announced, still clutching onto Danny's throat. "Behold…"

Vlad clenched Danny's throat tighter as someone screamed, "Stop! You're going to kill him!"

Vlad ignored them and continued as a ring of glowing light enveloped them. "Behold," he repeated. "Your _hero_."

Sam gasped in horror as for the second time, she witnessed Danny's transformation. Platinum locks of hair replaced ebony ones, and green eyes replaced blue. Danny was no longer wearing a red button up and slacks, but now was adorned in a silver and black hazmat suit.

There was silence in the room until a shrill and annoying voice cried out, "I KNEW IT! I MADE OUT WITH DANNY PHANTOM!" Without hesitation, Ashley strode over and socked Paulina right in the face.

"You know, that may not have been my assignment, but I am **so** damn happy that I did it. As far as I'm concerned, assignment completed." Ashley spat. "Now, back to the important matter at hand…Oh. Crap."

Emma looked at Danny, then Sam, then Jazz, then Tucker. They didn't seem surprised, just mortified. "You knew?!" she cried. "You knew that Danny was Danny Phantom and you didn't say anything?"

Sam sighed, and tried her hardest to answer Emma and ignore all of the other questions and exclamations being shot her way by a crowd of demanding students.

"What could I have said, Em? 'Hey, this may come as a surprise to you, but my boyfriend is half-ghost. Don't say anything though, because you're not supposed to know'?!"

Vlad cleared his throat and raised a hand to silence them all irately. It was scary how fast they all listened.

"Now. Let the games commence."

As the last syllable left his lips, several ghost animals burst through the glass windows.

The girls, Tucker, and Dash ducked out of the way to avoid debris hitting them. When they looked up, Danny and Vlad were both gone and ferocious beats surrounded them and the hundreds of other students.

"Okay…I know I've said this before, and I'm really gonna work on not saying it as much, but this time I really mean it. We. Are. So. Screwed." Roxie gulped as a glowing green panther advanced on her.

Jazz almost replied until she noticed something lying on the ground a few feet away. She thanked God that her parents were ghost hunters as she swiftly made a mad dash for the one thing she was so glad her mother never left home without—her ghost equipment pack.

She grabbed the scarlet colored mini-bookbag just as the panther came bounding towards her, rummaging through it quickly, she found what she was looking for. She held up the cylinder container and the tiger was sucked into it.

"A lunch thermos? You plan to save our lives with a lunch thermos?!" Paulina screeched. Several other students agreed with her.

"Yeah, well she just did, didn't she?" Raven glared, fully aware of the beasts that stood before them. She backed up and noticed that a bear came forward a bit.

"Guys…have you noticed that everyone is moving around…and yet the animals aren't moving?" Annica asked, through barely moving lips. She received nods, though she didn't dare look to see.

"Then why did that panther thing just go after Jazz?" Dash gulped.

"Because…" Sam realized, amethyst eyes wide. "They aren't after them…they're after us."

It was then that they noticed how many animals there were: ten, not including the panther.

"There's one for each of us." Ashley said, her voice wavering. "So who was the other one for, Danny?"

"If he survived with Vlad, I'm guessing." Tucker said, fixing his glasses anxiously.

The ten of them stood still together, unsure of what exactly to do while most of the other students who weren't frozen in fear, or screaming for their attention, frantically tried to get out of the bolted door.

"Okay…here's the plan…" Jazz instructed calmly. "Dash, I want you and Tucker to ram that door as hard as you can and get it open, I don't care how, just do it. I then want the two of you to lead all nine hundred of these students out of here. I again, don't care how you do it, just do it…safely. Roxie, go with them. It'll take about three of you to detain a crowd that big." She handed Roxie a Fenton Thermos, saying that it was too dangerous to give her anything else with all of the students around.

"Sam, you're coming with me. We're gonna find Danny. With Danny, we'll probably find Vlad, so here," she threw a funny looking stun-gun at Sam. "Don't hesitate to use it."

She looked at Emma and Annica. "Emma, you keep Annica with you at all times and be on the lookout for anything suspicious. If these…creatures are after us, there's no doubt in my mind that he'll try to use Annica too. Keep her away from him at all costs." Jazz threw the Jack-O-Nine-Tails at Emma and she barely caught it.

She turned to Ashley and Raven. "Guys, I need you two to get help. I wouldn't put it past Vlad to be cunning enough to make sure we have no cell or landline service, so you two are going to have to get creative." She gave them her Fenton Thermos.

"What about us?!" Paulina demanded. They didn't realize that it had once again gotten quiet and that they were all listening to Jazz. Paulina advanced on them. "What the hell are we supposed to do while you people run around and—" Sam used the stun-gun on Paulina and grinned.

"Hey look, it works." She shrugged as Paulina fell to the ground with a 'thump'.

"Now, on the count of three…we are all going to run like hell towards those doors, Dash and Tucker first. One…two…THREE."

Dash and Tucker ran at a speed they didn't even know that they had in them, with an elephant and a giraffe close behind.

The students moved out of the way except for a handful of football players who all heaved with Dash and Tucker against the door at the same time. The hinges of the old door broke loose, and all of the students followed manically, and Roxie led them from the back, narrowly escaping a rampaging rhino that began to run as soon as she did.

Turning around while somehow still making it out of the door, Roxie opened the Fenton Thermos, sucking the rhinoceros into it. "That is so freaking awesome!"

Annica and Emma were just seconds behind them as a bear and a bull went storming after them. All four of them were barely in sight as Ashley and Raven made a run for it and were closely followed by two giant eagles. The only ones left were Sam and Jazz as they watched the others run for it.

"Ready?" Jazz asked as she stared a lioness in the eye. Sam nodded and gulped.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She said, not daring to make eye contact with the ram that looked at her menacingly.

"Let's go!" the two of them set off and bolted as fast as they could.

"Damn, damn, damn, damn…" Roxie swore under her breath as she tried to get through the hoard of students and to Dash and Tucker who were currently being chased.

The students were all over the place, none wanting to get too close to the animals, but not wanting to lose sight of their two guides.

"Why, why, WHY the hell did we have to wear heels today?!" she asked, not knowing that her friends were thinking the exact same thing.

Roxie knew what she had to do. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly.

"HEY! YOU! ZOO FREAKS! OVER HERE! YOU THINK YOU'RE SO BIG AND BAD! SHOW ME WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF!" As soon as the giraffe and the elephant made eye-contact with each other and began to charge towards her, Roxie began to wonder if she made the right decision.

"UGH! MOTHER—" She was cut off by the sound of stampeding feet. Roxie ran in the other direction as fast as she could, not exactly sure where she'd go.

Annica and Emma ran through the corridors, their heels clacking on the floors loudly. The Jack-O-Nine Tails had taken care of the bear, but it was the bull that was a little harder to not only contain, but to get away from.

"Em! I don't think it likes your dress!" Annica cried out.

"MY DRESS?!" Emma wailed. "MY DRESS IS ORANGE!" The girls took the stairs two at a time only to see that the bull was taking them in sixes.

"I DUNNO! MAYBE IT LOOKS RED!" Annica screeched, giving up the idea of her shoes and choosing to throw them at the bull, which only seemed to detain it a little.

"**RED**?!" Emma cried, taking her shoes and following suit. "THIS DRESS IS NOT RED! THIS DRESS IS FROM THE NEW MARC JACOBS COLLECTION!"

Annica grunted. "I don't think the bull knows who Marc Jacobs IS, EMMA! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO MARC JACOBS IS!" Emma looked appalled they continued to run until they got to the gymnasium.

Ashley and Raven had somehow made it outside and just missed being hit by the ram that was after Sam and Jazz. The ram knocked over the enormous flagpole, sending their giant 30-foot school flag tumbling to the ground, before crashing into the bleachers and ruining the foundations.

Raven jumped out of the way, only to find herself being lifted off of the ground. She screamed as the enormous eagle carried her up into the air. Ashley picked up the fallen Thermos and sucked the eagle into it…only there was a problem...Raven had still been attached.

Raven screamed even louder as she fell through the air, only to barely grasp on the edge of the bleachers. Raven hung off of the twenty-foot structure; she was scared out of her mind, and even more so when it began to creak. Ashley grabbed a section of the large flag and ran underneath Raven's dangling feet.

"Raven! Jump! You've got to jump!" Ashley called.

Raven shook her head and almost lost grip. Her fingers began to hurt from holding on so tightly. "I can't! I…I can't! I'm scared!"

Ashley gave a loud and annoyed grunt. "Well, no duh! You're about to die! Which is why you've gotta jump!"

Raven shook her head again in defiance and gave a terrified yelp as she almost fell to her death. "No, Ashley! You don't get it! No." She struggled upward. "I'm afraid of heights!"

Ashley groaned loudly and all Raven heard was silence.

"Alright," Ashley finally spoke. "Here's the deal, Rae! If you're afraid of heights, it _**SO**_ doesn't make much sense for you to be dangling in the air, now does it?"

Raven didn't answer and Ashley made a loud and frustrated scream as the bleachers began to creak and give weigh under the little bit of extra weight that Raven was providing.

"Okay, you know what? I've finally got your assignment!" Ashley called up.

"WHAT? NOW? Now of all places? What is it: Don't die?!" Raven shot her a frustrated glance from way up high causing Ashley to give a slight laugh.

"No, but that's a start! No. You're assignment is to fall into the flag!" Raven let out a scream as a part of the bleachers across from her broke and fell below. Ashley ducked and held her arms over her head, careful not to drop the flag.

"RAVEN, DO IT!" She yelled loudly.

"Your assignment is to stop being a freaking coward and fall! It's either fall willingly, or plummet to your death…unwillingly! Now, I suggest you be super-mega smart, and let me be _**Super Ashley**_ and save your life!"

"You're not even wearing the periwinkle cape!" Raven protested.

"Is this really the time to complain about my attire?!" Ashley yelled.

Raven looked back at her just as the bleachers began to loudly creak. She took a deep breath, gathered all of her courage and let go. Ashley ran under her more closely and held as much of the colossal flag as she could. Raven screamed as she fell, and landed into the flag with a loud 'thump' and an 'Oof!'

"See?" Ashley asked as she helped Raven up. "That wasn't as bad as dying, right?" Raven groaned.

"More or less. Either way, we're still facing impending doom. Seems like that fellow didn't appreciate what you did to his brother!" Raven cried. Ashley looked up only to hear a thunderous squawk.

"Run for it!" Ashley yelled.

It didn't take long for Sam and Jazz to find Danny and Vlad. They were out on the football field, facing the opposite way of the stage that the girls had before performed on, in an intense battle.

Sam jumped as out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that a large section of the bleachers collapse. She had a feeling that the ram that they escaped was nearby and that they didn't have much time.

"Danny!" Sam screamed from afar. Danny, who was temporarily distracted for a moment turned to her with widened eyes.

"Sam! Get back!" she heard him holler.

Jazz snatched Sam's stun gun and zapped the lioness with a crackling sound. The lioness disintegrated into a disgusting pile of ecto-goop.

She looked at Danny worriedly. The gun had run out of juice, the stuff in the backpack wouldn't be of much use against Vlad, and she had no idea just how to get out of this mess.

Jazmine Fenton had finally solved the mystery…so why did she suddenly wish that she hadn't?

Roxie bolted down a staircase, leaping over two pairs of shoes that were lying haphazardly on three different stairs. Running, she saw a something with a tail stampede into the gymnasium. She raised an eyebrow but whipped the thermos back out nonetheless.

"Annica…it's…right…there…" she heard Emma gulp.

Roxie heard the bull snort and get ready to charge, running its hoof on the slippery gym floor. She slowly crept from behind and approached the three of them quietly…at least until she tripped over her own shoe.

She landed on the newly polished gym floor with a thud, attracting not only the attention of Emma, Annica, and the enraged bull, but her two animal buddies who she'd naturally forgotten all about…

"I told you heels were stupid!" Roxie snapped at Emma who simply rolled her eyes.

Just as the bull was charging, Roxie opened the thermos and sucked it in. Now, for her safari friends. Before Roxie got a chance to aim at either one, the elephant was already charging after her.

Roxie, who luckily had amazing reflexes (thanks to her Wii) managed to only get her hand struck…the hand holding the thermos.

"Nice going, Forrester. At least we're already dressed for our funerals!" Emma grumbled. "Right Annica?…Annica?"

Annica was army crawling in her dress halfway across the gym. The giraffe and the elephant were a little preoccupied with trying to mangle Roxie, so she was in the clear.

Annica clutched onto the thermos and aimed it at the elephant. She blinked in awe as she watched it get sucked in. She'd never really seen anything like that before.

The giraffe seemed a bit stunned by its counterpart being sucked in, so Annica took her chance and grabbed her friends.

"Come on!" the three of them bolted out of the gym door.

Running out into the field, they (literally) ran into Ashley and Raven who were running away from an eagle. As if it were a reflex, Roxie whipped out the thermos and sucked the giant bird into it. Raven got up but Ashley sat in the grass in a tired daze.

"Ashley!" Emma cried out. Ashley turned around as the giraffe stampeded toward them. Annica and Emma managed to pull her up off of the ground before it trampled the girl, but it still clipped her ankle before Roxie sucked it in, too.

Ashley winced. "Great. Just when I was getting the feeling back from the last time…"

The blonde girl tried to walk on her leg to no avail. Raven turned to Emma.

"Ash and I were the escape plan. We were gonna use the janitor's car." Raven dangled the keys in front of her friend on an old leather keychain.

Emma shrugged. "No can do. I am not the one who needs to be driving. Besides, me and Annica were going to go find Sam and Jazz, and potentially Danny. And Roxie's got her hands full enough already with a good part of the student body."

All eyes turned to Annica.

"Feel like driving?" Annica paled.

Poor, Annica. Well, guys, I decided not to torture you all with an extremely long chapter like I started to. So now you get more chapters. Oh, how happy you all are, I can sense it, haha. Well, either way, we're still drawing to a close! TSAC II website is up and running with music on every page (which I'm really excited about) and a lot more interaction than it's predecessor.

Tell me what your thoughts!

Keyarrah


	20. The Beginning Of The End

Hey guys.

You all are probably like, "Why does she even set deadlines for herself? She hardly ever meets them." If you're wondering that, it's fine.

So am I!

Okay well, one thing that made this take forever is that I'm currently revising all of the old chapters. I'm not making giant changes that would require you all to start reading from the beginning again to catch what's going on or anything, but grammatical errors and spelling mistakes were fixed. There are as of now, two more chapters and an epilogue, which as I've already said is sort of the opener to TSAC II.

Speaking of the sequel, those of you who asked about TSAC II website, it is up and running and ready to be viewed, but its official opening will be the day that the last chapter is put up along with the first chapter of TSAC II (both are on the same day as suggested by darkbunny92).

I'm really excited about the website now that the music on the individual girls' pages is up and running. I'm also excited for this one because you have…dah-dah-dah-dahhhhhh…visuals! That's right. It took me FOREVER to do it, (haha) but I have gotten you pictures of almost identical look-a-likes to not only the new girls, but also the original girls of TSAC, and their relatives.

Enjoy this chapter (which is a bit on the _long_ side 6,850 words …this chapter is still part of the climax, but it ends with the falling action of the fic), and what's to come,

Keyarrah

* * *

Annica held the keys in her hand numbly as Emma placed them in the palm of her hand. Her thumb ran over the leather keychain in silent terror.

"An," Emma said softly, "It's just a car."

Annica shook her head firmly and quickly replied, "No, it's not."

Her voice was thick with unshed tears, and her eyes clouded over. The girls looked at her sympathetically as Annica gathered her composure.

"Forget it, Annica…I can…I'll do it." Raven offered. "We can switch places, and you can look after Ashley or something."

"_Don't be afraid of anything."_

Annica closed her eyes and tried to hold back the tear that fell, without avail.

"_Not just now, Annica. Don't be afraid of anything ever." _

"I'm not afraid." Annica finally replied, more to the voice in her head than to her friends.

She clutched onto the car keys and a shiver went up her spine. She walked away briskly before she could change her mind, the only sounds she heard were her bare footsteps crunching in the snow. Now that she was walking and not being chased after, the cold unusual winter wind chilled her arms until they felt numb and unnatural. She made the long trek to the parking lot through the lawn that seemed to go on for at least an acre and a half.

It wasn't hard to find the janitor's car, seeing as it had the school's crest on the side. It was an aged pickup truck. The paint was peeling near the tires and there were spots of rust beneath the cracked speckles of black paint. Annica's head was a million places at once, but she wouldn't allow herself to feel it. She wouldn't be afraid. She wouldn't be afraid. She wouldn't be afraid.

She opened the car swiftly and sat there at the steering wheel. All at once flashbacks of her mother's crushed car went through her mind as the images of her friends' faces swept through her memory.

A single tear made it's way down Annica's face as she struggled to gain composure. She put the car in gear with a shaky breath. Not only were her best friends counting on her, but also so was her sister, most of the students in their school, their mothers…her mother.

"Great…" she said aloud. "I've never driven before, and my first time is gonna be in a rickety old death trap…"

Remembering what she'd learned and seen in the Driver's Ed classes she was forced to take earlier that year, she backed out of the parking lot jerkily.

To help her concentrate she shakily pushed in and turned the old plastic knob on the radio until she heard something besides static.

She didn't really recognize the song or the artist, but it made her feel better somehow. She clutched onto the steering wheel, her sapphire blue chipped nails drumming on the wheel nervously. Her attention snapped to the windshield as the heard the soft pitter-patter of the rain hitting it.

The water held her in a trance-like state as she felt herself delving back into her memories.

* * *

"—_again, I'm very sorry, Mr. Reed. You're daughter's over here."_ _Annica watched as her father came toward her, his face as stiff as stone, yet more broken than she'd ever seen before. _

_He picked her up into his arms and carried her away from her mother, or who she used to be at least. Annica held onto her father, little hiccups erupting as he carried her toward his car, where Jacqueline sat in the backseat, her body wracking with sobs. _

_Her father was so strong as he carried her. He was stiff; he walked as if it were his duty to. However, as Annica clutched onto her father, she felt a warm tear fall on her shoulder, and that's when she realized that her daddy was hurting too. _

_Annica allowed herself to be placed next to her sister, who clutched onto her. She allowed herself to be buckled in. She allowed herself to nod slightly as her father kissed her forehead. She allowed herself to be cried upon by Jacqueline. But she would not allow herself to be afraid. _

_She promised. _

* * *

She promised…

More determined than ever, Annica snapped back to attention only to realize that she'd driven herself right into an empty field. She shook her head in annoyance, and pulled forward; ready to pull the junky vehicle in reverse, when all of a sudden there was a loud thump that startled her.

In the gleam of the winter sun, she could barely make out the silhouette of Sophia Baxter as she landed on the roof of the car with a smirk. Annica screamed and attempted to back up and hopefully throw the woman off of the car only to have her kick a foot through the windshield with a sporting laugh.

Letting out another terrified shriek, Annica scrambled to the backseat and frantically shook the door handle only to find that it was stuck. Sophia, never taking her eyes off of her, phased through the windshield, unharmed by the glass she'd just broken. Annica pushed even harder on the door, only to have it creak slightly.

By the time the door handle began to move Sophia crouched in front of her, and cupped Annica's cheek in her palm.

"C'mon, honey. Vlad's waiting."

Annica responded by kicking her in the face.

Annica kicked the door as hard as she could and fell out of the door because of it. She got up, seeing a pissed off Sophia behind her and ran as fast as she could. She wasn't going down without a fight.

* * *

Sam and Jazz kneeled in thicket of trees. They both watched helplessly as Danny tried his hardest to take on the older halfa. Vlad jeered at the teenager, taunting him about how he was supposedly destined for a big future of nothingness. Danny seemed to be taking it to heart in a way that only made him fight Masters harder. As Danny took a hit to the face, Jazz turned to Sam, unable to watch anymore.

Sam and Jazz noted Raven and Emma coming toward them from behind with Ashley in between them. She had an arm around each one of the girls as she tried her hardest to hobble toward them on one leg.

Sam glanced at her sister in concern before her attention was taken back to Danny as he let out an anguished wail.

"That's it, we've got to do something." Tears welled in Jazz's eyes, as she thought of her baby brother doing this all alone.

Sam hung her head low.

"Like what, Jazz? What can we possibly do? If we could do something, I would be doing it right now! You think I like just being here, not able to do anything? Well, I don't!" she snapped angrily.

"Sam, I didn't mean—…Sam, I'm not doubting you." Jazz sighed.

Sam nodded, apologetically.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just…" she trailed off, turning to the other three. "Where are Roxie and Annica?"

Raven, unsure of what to make of what just happened explained, "Roxie's with the guys, and Annica drove off for help."

Jazz and Sam turned to her fearfully.

"Annica's driving?" Sam gaped.

"Annica's _**alone**_?!" Jazz inquired, her eyes widened.

The girls exchanged understanding looks of panic. They weren't supposed to leave Annica alone. Someone was supposed to be with her at all times. Not only had they before forgotten about what driving meant to their friend…they'd put her life in danger…they'd put all of their lives in danger.

"We didn't think. We didn't…Ashley was…Oh God." Emma whispered, closing her eyes.

"Oh God, is right." A voice announced from behind them.

The girls whipped around (or slightly turned in Ashley's case) to see Annica coming toward them, her dress in tatters. It was dirtied and her bare feet were muddied. She had a slight cut above her brow and her brown eyes looked slightly glazed over, probably from the excitement of whatever had just happened to her.

Jazz met her with a startling and almost bone-crushing hug. "Annica! Are you okay?"

Annica gave a nod and a shaky smile, as Emma brushed her dress off for her.

"Yeah. I'm good. Roxie helped me find you guys." She nodded behind her, to where Roxie was walking toward them, an annoyed expression crossing her features.

"I didn't find help, but I did happen to run into a bit of trouble with Stepmommy Dearest, though."

Roxie, whose hair was splayed around her shoulders and messy from running about, pulled her hair into a tight ponytail.

"Figures since Princess-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-Paulina is out and about on a ghostly rampage. She woke up in a super-pissy mood, btw. Oh, and guess who got to play decoy? Apparently, in the midst of all of our excitement, we forgot that 1.) Paulina's possessed and more psycho than usual, and is probably going to kill us,

"2.) The fracking MAYOR is going to kill us if Preppy Princess Prostitute-blah-blah-blah-Paulina doesn't kill us, and 3.) THERE IS STILL SNOW ON THE GROUND, and we will die from the cold if we don't die from the latter." She hissed.

Jazz sighed, ignoring the puff that her breath made in the air.

"Okay, fine. Roxie, although she said it in a frank and irritable sort of way, is right. We've got to do something fast. Our options are incredibly limited, and right now, we're getting our butts handed back to us."

Sam agreed, "It's obvious that those…creatures were used to tire us out so that we'd be absolutely no help to Danny by the time we got done with them. We also can't forget the fact that Vlad knows that we've got hundreds of people to get out of the way, and I doubt that he'd waste any time moving them out of the way to get to us."

Annica spoke up, "I've got a plan."

Before any of them could say or do anything, Annica strode out from behind their hiding spot.

"Annica, what are you doing?" Ashley hissed.

Ashley's inquisition seemed to fall upon deaf ears. Annica broke into a run until she arrived directly below Danny and Vlad. Vlad flung Danny away from him and looked down at Annica before swooping down. Annica stood her ground firmly and stared him down as he landed before her.

He took his chin between his index finger and his thumb, his thumb just centimeters from her lips, which were pursed in what could have been sheer will.

"So tell me, young sweetheart. What have you to tell me?" Vlad's voice rang through the air just loud enough for the girls to hear.

Annica turned to her friends, her brown eyes looking as if they could burn through them. "They're over there."

Emma, Sam, Roxie, Jazz, Raven, and Ashley stood in disbelief as Annica pointed a finger toward them. Her eyes were trained on the thicket of trees. Her eyes…they were brown. But how?

Instantly, twelve ghostly guards grabbed the girls, two of them holding one firmly. The guards were glowing an eerie transparent white just like an average stereotypical ghost.

They were at least six feet tall, and weighed more than all six of them put together, plus maybe Dash and Tucker. Their eyes were sunken into what could be called their heads, and their mouths were grim and menacing-looking.

"WHAT THE HELL, BRITANNICA?!" Roxie screamed, wriggling in between the two guards who had clasped themselves onto her. "YOU LIED TO US!"

Annica threw her a nonchalant look. "I said that I had gotten into trouble, Roxanne. I didn't say that I had gotten _out _of it."

Danny, who'd just made his way back to them looked at the scene before him in utter confusion and shock. Annica was standing with Vlad, their friends, his sister, and his girlfriend were being held captive and out of the corner of his eye, he could note Paulina and Sophia heading straight for them.

"Leave them out of this, Plasmius. This is between you and I. This has nothing to do with them!" Danny bellowed angrily.

Vlad only waved him off.

"I warned you, Daniel. The moment that you turned me away, this became their battle too. Now, Ramón, Jefferson. Bring her here."

Danny got ready to leap as the two guards known as 'Ramón' and 'Jefferson' dragged Sam to his enemy. Vlad held up a hand before he could move.

"Move an inch, Daniel, and I'll be sure to snap her pretty little neck." Vlad threatened.

Danny stood still, but seethed nonetheless.

"Now. Make a decision, Daniel," Vlad told him, "I can kill her in front of you now, or I can make her kill you before I kill her. Either way, you both die."

Danny's eyes flashed a deeper shade of green as he landed on the football field, still sure to keep his distance from Vlad and Sam.

"Don't you get it, son?" Vlad asked him humorously as he rose up into the air. "I always win. Always. When you wake up, I'll win. When you go to sleep, Daniel, I will win. And my favorite part about all of this is that there is absolutely, positively," He formed a ball of ectoplasm in his fingertips and brought it near Sam's throat. "nothing that you can do about that."

He turned to Sam, a smile forming on his lips. "So tell me, Miss. Manson. Are you ready to die?"

Ashley, doing the first thing she could think to do, let out an earsplitting scream, causing the ghosts holding her and the other to let go in order to hold their ears. Sam used that opportunity to bite Vlad and clumsily fall from his grasp.

Luckily, Vlad hadn't gotten far enough off of the ground for Sam to get hurt. She landed on her knees and got up quickly, following her friends as they quickly hurried away.

"Thanks," Sam told her sister breathlessly.

Ashley grinned. "I owed you one."

"Of course." Vlad seethed, rubbing his wrist where Sam had bitten him as he threw a dirty look at Danny, who also looked a bit affected by Ashley. "You'd be the one to pick a difficult girlfriend."

Vlad ignored the ringing in his ears, and harshly waved a hand toward his minions. "Get them back."

He turned to Annica and put a finger under her chin and said, "Go make me proud."

Annica nodded and beckoned Sophia and Paulina before all three of them disappeared.

* * *

"Okay, not that it wasn't really good and all, but Ashley, _what_ was that?" Roxie asked, panting a bit as they ran through the thicket of trees that had once been their hiding spot.

Beyond the thicket was town, not far from where they'd all gotten their costumes and much of their 'winter' gear.

"That, was how I got a pony for my fifth birthday, and how I plan on getting a car for my fifteenth." Ashley explained, cursing as her heel snagged on a bushel of branches.

"It's too bad you won't live to see past fourteen, kiddo." Six heads swung around to see Sophia, perched up in a tree, her legs swinging childishly.

"Okay, people really need to stop popping up out of nowhere, us included." Ashley grumbled.

They went to back up, until Sam felt something in back of her. She turned around to see a slightly smirking Paulina.

"Hmm, Manson. Turns out that I might be getting Danny after all."

Annica walked out to the right of them. The only direction they had to run in was toward the school, which obviously would lead them nowhere.

"Annica, what are you doing? We're your best friends. We…want to save you." Sam tried to remind her in a pleading tone.

"My best friends? Oh, because you love and care about me so much, Sam, that you sent me to my death in a basically condemned vehicle just to save your little boyfriend?" She walked in front of Sam in anger.

"Oh dear, you worked so hard to get him and now he's going to be taken away from you. Hate to see you not get your way for once, huh, Samantha? You know, with what you did at the Cupcake competition to get his attention…why it almost makes me wonder what else you'd do to keep him."

Sam looked at her in shock.

What was she talking about? Did she really put Danny in front of Annica? No, she didn't. How could she have possibly known that Annica was in trouble? Annica was paired up with Emma, and she had been paired up with Jazz. Sam's job in this whole thing was to get to Danny. Something wasn't right, besides the fact that their friend was obviously possessed.

"And Emma, so fast to tell me that it was _'just a car'_. You have no idea what I've been through, blondie. As always you're so self-centered and concerned about what's happening in 'Emilyland' that you couldn't once ask me what was wrong? But no. Nothing's as important when Emily Court has an audience and a mirror."

Emma stared at her best friend in hurt and shock.

"You know, all of this could have been prevented, if sweet little Ashley didn't always have to have to spotlight,"

Annica walked toward them menacingly.

"'Oh no! Help me! I'm the misfit Manson! What shall I do to earn Mommy and Daddy's love? Hm. Maybe I'll act up. But wait, they only got sick of me and my little 'antics' like the rest of the world is soon to do, and they shipped me off to school with Sam. Boo-fricking-hoo. Now I know what I'll do, I'll ride my sister's coattails and share _her_ friends. You know, since I'm too much of a little freak to make my own. Oh, look at me. I've got pretty-_fake_ blonde hair. But maybe if I stopped dressing and acting like the 'cool' person that I'm not, I'd soon realize that everybody hates me, including myself.'" she mocked.

Ashley's eyes hardened and Annica took a few more steps forward, turning to the eldest of the group.

"And Jazz, so smart…yet such a lying little bitch. You pretend to be so smart, and so perfect, and yet we both know that that is biggest pile of bull that the world has ever seen...or hasn't seen yet. Oh, but you're so pretty…and you're so intelligent…but you will never be perfect. Tell me, Jazz, why is it that you try so hard? I never really understood it before, but I really get it now. Your brother is Danny Phantom. Oh, if I were a big pile of nothing, I'd put on an intelligent façade too. Oh, but you sure did fool one person, didn't you? So tell me, honey, how long until Dash realizes that you'll never ever be the person you make yourself out to be? Actually, while we're at it, how long until you realize it?"

The others sent Jazz a look through their hurt and confusion. Jazz and Dash? Annica was on roll, and didn't seem to be stopping just yet.

"Oh, and speaking of 'façades' that brings me to you, Roxanne. You know, I've always wondered if you wake up every morning and practice your 'smile'. It's almost as much a joke as you are. Oh please, stop glaring at me. Little Miss. 'Dark, Brood, and Offending', why we know who you are on the inside. Broken and ashamed. I realized something in our years of friendship, Roxie. You never really seem to talk about yourself. Oh sure, we hear the things that you want us to hear, but that's about it. You know how they say that 'hurting people hurt people'? Well, it is needless to say that your sarcasm gets a little bit tiring and just so old. Now, I won't tell the whole wide world your secret about what Daddy did. How he left your poor broken little family back at home with your mother. Oh, and how she works herself half-dead to provide for you and your brother Jamie. I also certainly won't let in on exactly how you got into this school, but just remember that the world tires of a one-trick pony, and soon they're gonna want more. Can you do that, Roxie? Can you give a bit more? Or was it all taken away? Did you ever really have it?"

Roxie clenched her fists and bared her teeth furiously. "You don't know what you're talking about, Annica. So _**shut up**_."

Annica ignored her and turned to Raven.

"Now onto our next and final charity case. Raven, why do you even bother? I mean, yeah, you supposedly 'helped' Sam, but in all actuality, we would have seen the fliers anyway. We didn't ask for you to be the messenger, which in that case, probably _should_ have been shot. But…why are you with us? Honestly, the only reason why we tolerate you is because we don't want to look…well…racist. Have you ever noticed that you're the only black girl here, mixed in with six white girls? You never wondered why? I mean, we couldn't just tell you go to away, that would look bad, and as I said for the others, they don't particularly favor looking bad. So why don't you go do us a favor, and go away now. You've had your fun playing with the big girls, now why don't you go find a couple friends that you can relate to."

Raven stared at her gaping, tears looking ready to fill her eyes.

"It's not true, Rae. None of us feel like that." Jazz told her softly. "I promise you that."

The six of them looked astounded at Annica. Their emotions ranged from hurt, anger, confusion, and just blind fury in Roxie's case.

"So you six, are supposed to be my best friends?" Annica laughed bitterly. "You want to save _me_? How cute. How disgustingly cute. And another thi—"

Eight different heads turned as Annica's body was engulfed in a sky-blue light and then they watched as it fell limp to the ground, her limbs splayed over the branches and leaves. A moment later Paulina and Sophia lay not far from her.

"You know," said a familiar voice. "She seemed a lot nicer a few days ago."

Perched upon spectral looking horses, there in jeans and t-shirts were Melanie and Melody, both holding high-tech looking thermoses.

"I swear…after today, I am never going back to the zoo." Raven murmured to Emma who couldn't help but smirk.

"You two couldn't have done that two minutes _before_ she called me a bitch?" Jazz asked, submerged in confusion.

The twins both shrugged.

"So…are they okay?" Roxie asked, still annoyed by her friend's words.

Melanie nodded. "Yeap. They're fine. They should actually be waking up pretty soon. They should remember everything, though the details will most likely be hazy." Melody nodded in agreement.

"So…who exactly are you two? And what are those things?" Ashley questioned.

"Us?" Melody laughed. "We're store owners, duh. Our sister Valerie, however, is a little more than that. It's…complicated. Anyway, these things, are modified Fenton Thermoses. Heard of those, Jazz?" she joked.

Jazz gave a small smile. "You guys just…came here alone? Randomly?"

Melanie and Melody shared a look and shook their heads in unison. "We brought a friend. He's around here…somewhere."

A soft groan was heard as Annica sat up, holding her head.

Everyone ran and hugged Annica except for Roxie.

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean any of it, I swear. It was like…my mouth was moving, but I wasn't the one talking and—" Ashley interrupted her with a tight hug.

"It's cool," Ashley beamed. "We all knew it couldn't have been you. You were like…channeling Paulina or Hayley Marshall or something."

"Who's Hayley Marshall?" Sam asked.

"This girl. She hates you, by the way." Sam blinked and decided to forget it.

Annica laughed, feeling as things had gotten back to normal. She turned to all of her friends for hugs and apologies, and got just that until she turned to Roxie.

"Ow!" Annica cried out. "What was that for?"

Roxie glared. "That was for calling me broken, and a whole bunch of other things that offended me that I don't remember right now, but I will later." She then hugged her, but not before punching her again.

Another groan was heard as Paulina sat up in utter confusion.

"Quick, someone knock her back out…" Roxie muttered, letting Annica go.

Not far from Paulina, Sophia Baxter stood up. "Where's Carter? …And why do I feel like I know you girls?"

"Because you tried to kill us, marry her dad, and that one's apparently been secretly snogging your kid." Emma nodded at Jazz. "Which we _will_ talk about later." She gave a pointed look at Jazz.

Jazz turned pale before reddening.

Paulina interrupted. "Enough catching up! We've got to go save my Phan—my Danny! He's still in danger." Sam gave her a death glare and eyed the thermos.

"Wait, gimmie, I think she's still possessed." Jazz waved her off, regaining her composure.

"As much as the first part of that sentence was oh-so-incorrect, the second part wasn't. Danny really is still in danger, and—what are they doing here?" Jazz's gaze went to Tucker and Dash, looking incredibly tired and making their way towards them.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be watching the thousands of students and making sure they don't…hm…let's see…die?" Raven questioned.

Dash nodded. "All taken care of, explain later…or not. Whichever. It's taken care of." His eyes fell on his mother who stared at him in disbelief.

"Dash…I am so sorry…" Sophia began. Dash looked away and found himself looking directly at Jazz as he spoke.

"It's fine." He cut her off. "Now, let's go save Fenton's butt in exchange for all the times he's apparently saved ours."

* * *

It was like a flurry of lights as Danny and Vlad hurled ectoplasm at each other. Shots of red and green showered the field, varying from the sky to the ground.

Now with added guests, the girls found themselves amongst the thicket of trees once more, planning out their next move.

"So, what? You can't just shoot that thing at him and let it all be over and done with?" Emma asked the twins.

"No way," Melanie replied.

"Vlad is way too powerful for this thing. He'd split it in two if given the chance. We were lucky enough it worked on those three." Melody finished.

"Okay, well, what about that friend of yours? Can't he do something?" Paulina questioned.

"Of course. He can do everything." Melody informed.

The others looked excited.

"Well, great! Let's get him and we can do this thing." Tucker said, clapping his hands together.

Melanie shook her head. "He can do everything, but he never really does. It's hard to explain. He'll be around when he's needed and no other time but then. If he felt that it was necessary, he could have prevented the whole thing to begin with."

Sputters of anger and annoyance were heard as the twins shushed them all. "Relax. He knows what he's doing. Now, until then, we wait." Melody informed.

The thirteen of them stood there in a cluster, watching as Danny fought his archenemy his hardest.

"Give up, Daniel. I win. I told you, I always win."

Danny was caught off guard as a beam whizzed past his head. Vlad grabbed him and Danny fought against him with all his might, only to find that Vlad's grasp was way too strong.

"Remember the dream in which Sam turned on you? She killed you in that dream, Danny, remember? That was me."

Danny struggled harder.

"Remember how Paulina had told the world your secret in the other one? Everyone turned against you, Danny, even your own parents. That was also me." Vlad was beaming now.

"Oh! And you must remember the one in which all of your family and friends were dead because you didn't listen to me like you were supposed to and—oh. I'm sorry that one wasn't a dream. That is what is going to happen now."

Danny's eyes glowed in morbid fury.

"Well, Vlad. If the boy remembers those, then he must remember the dream of what is really going to happen."

The two in the sky and the thirteen on the ground peered curiously at the little ghost making his way toward the two halfas. He had a booming voice for such a small thing, but it was a voice that somehow suited him, and demanded respect in a gentle sort of way.

"That's him?" Dash deadpanned. "You sent a _baby_…a medallion holding _**baby**_?"

"It's not a baby, Dash! It's a man! Can't you see, stupido?" Paulina glowered.

"It's an _old_ man..._'stupido'_" Ashley corrected, looking on as the ghost transfigured.

"You're all correct…well, sort of. It's Clockwork." Jazz looked at the twins to confirm, which they did.

"Remember the dream, Danny, in which you woke up to a beautiful young amethyst-eyed woman, and three gorgeous children? Remember the house? The love you felt? The rest of those dreams might have been Vlad, Danny, but that one was all me."

Danny gaped at Clockwork as Vlad loosened his grasp on him.

"What are you doing here?" Vlad seethed. "This has nothing to do with you."

Clockwork, who had transfigured once again into a middle-aged looking ghost, held up his hand in disagreement.

"Oh, but Plasmius, it does. You were trying to rearrange time and the future itself. I believe that is my jurisdiction, is it not?"

Vlad was beyond irate. "This has nothing to do with you." He repeated.

Clockwork kept his casual tone as he replied back, "Excuse me for disagreeing. Now, let him go, Vlad. You and I have much to discuss."

Clockwork's warm and vivid red eyes held no anger, but his tone showed that he was serious.

Vlad didn't answer. He just shoved Danny out of the way before letting blasting an ectoplasmic beam full-force toward who he viewed to be his new enemy.

Clockwork just shook his head and held up his medallion. The red ghostly blast seemed to freeze in midair before turning back around to hit Vlad before he realized what was going on.

Vlad hit the ground with a harsh 'thud'.

"Well, Plasmius. In that case…I believe that your time is up." Clockwork flicked the medallion at Vlad, letting it fall onto his chest. There was a dome of red light surrounded the older halfa and no words were spoken.

"Wh-where'd he go?" Danny asked, staring at the medallion as it lay in the grass.

Clockwork gave a soft smile as Danny came to land next to him, turning back into his regular blue-eyed self. "You let me worry about that, Danny. Let's just say that he has an impromptu meeting with the counsel in about ten minutes. Now, I believe there are a group of people not too far away who'd like to see you."

Danny turned around to see his friends, Paulina, Mrs. Baxter, and two identical looking girls whom he didn't recognize standing not too far away.

As they made their way toward everyone, Danny couldn't help but engulf Sam into a deep hug. He hung his head down a bit to bury his chin in her hair, which was windblown and messy, not that either of them cared in the slightest.

"You gave Danny the dreams?" Raven inquired. Clockwork shook his head.

"No, not all of them. I gave Danny one or two, possibly three, but not the ones that deprived him from sleep at night…except for that last one." Danny's eyes met Sam's as Clockwork said that.

"'Amethyst-eyed woman', huh? Anyone we know?" Roxie smirked, ignoring the incredibly deep sulking fit that Paulina had just gone into.

Sam and Danny smiled at each other, both of them recognizing the blush on each others and their own faces.

"So wait…" Tucker pieced together. "If Vlad gave Danny the scary-ish dreams, and you gave Danny that good dream, what was up with those weird dreams? And why did one of them come true?"

Clockwork raised an eyebrow. "One of them?"

Tucker's eyes widened. "…Wait. …You mean…I was in a dress? When did that happen?!"

Clockwork looked away and Roxie coughed a little, looking back at the trees.

_'Ooh…look, a robin. Fly away...fly away robin...and take me with you...' _Roxie thought anxiously.

"So…anyway, Mr. Time-Changing-Ghost-Man, can we…have our moms back? 'Cause my mom's got a ten o'clock flight to England tonight to see my grandparents, and…yeah." Emma shrugged.

The ghost laughed. "Yes, of course, Emily. Now, before we do that, Danny, I must ask, what about your secret?"

Danny looked at him in confusion as he continued to hold on to Sam. "What about it? I mean…it's out now, isn't it?"

Clockwork nodded. "Yes, but it doesn't have to be. They," he looked at Ashley, Raven, Roxie, Annica, Emma, Paulina, Mrs. Baxter and the twins, "can easily forget."

"Well…I don't know. Sam?" He looked down at Sam to see tears running down her eyes.

"Uhm…yes." She nodded. "Except…I want to forget too."

Danny let go of Sam to look her straight on. "What?"

Sam shook her head and sniffled. "Danny…today…was beyond crazy. We all almost died more times than I can count on all of our fingers, and I almost lost you twice as many times as that. The way that I found out, well, I know it wasn't the way that you would have wanted me to find out if you were given the chance to tell me.

"Danny…I love you, I'm absolutely positively sure of it. And it's because of that, that I want you to fully know that I love you—both sides of you—not just because I have to, or because it was forced on me, but because I just do."

She closed her eyes and turned to Clockwork sullenly. "Can you…please just do it?"

Danny stood next to her, mouth agape. He didn't quite know what to say to that, and either decision seemed like the wrong one. If he didn't let her do it, it was selfish, but if he let her do it, something could go wrong…or everything could go the way it was really meant to.

Roxie however, seemed to have already make the decision for him.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, _wait a minute_!" Roxie stomped her foot. "As touching and tear-jerking and blah-blah-blah as all of that was, this is **my** memory we're talking about here. So just because **her** boyfriend is the one who can go through walls, does not give **her** the right to do stuff to **my** brain! _**I**_ want to _remember_, and _**I**_ am going to _remember_." She loudly declared huffily, using her arms and hands to emphasize her point.

She turned to Sam and rolled her eyes. "And so help me, Manson, if you try and forget I swear that I will remind you every single day of your natural born life. I will carve it into your walls like some freaky cult-classic movie if I have to."

Her declaration received a few chuckles, even from Sam. Around them, the others nodded in agreement.

"Well, Miss. Manson. It would appear that you have been outvoted. Would you like a recount?" Sam laughed and wiped her face.

"Not necessary, thank you." Danny grinned at her.

"Sam, I love you too. And there is no doubt in my mind that I do…and I have for a while. I don't know how long I have, but I have. I don't know, maybe it was when I was standing there watching you prance around a stage in what was probably less than a bathing suit,"

Sam laughed at the horrible memory.

"or maybe it was one of those days that I sat behind you in class, and watched you do that thing with your hair." He tried to demonstrate but failed, earning another laugh from the girl beside him.

"But I know that I love you, Samantha Manson. And I'm glad that you know my secret…'cause nothing really seems worth having unless…I can have it with you." Danny smiled sheepishly.

"Aww…" Ashley grinned. "Well, then, I hope hamburgers aren't worth having, 'cause she's definitely not having any of that."

Emma pinched her. "Way to ruin the moment, Ash."

Ashley stuck her tongue out, "Oh, go look in a mirror!" Emma mock glared.

"Not cool!"

In the midst of their bickering, Clockwork turned to Danny and Sam. "So your secret…?"

Danny shrugged.

"It's out. Why not? I understand the dangers and the implications, but…well, I'm a little bit more than convinced that my friends and family can handle themselves if I'm not around. …Which won't be too often." He added, casting a worried look at how bruised and beat-up everyone looked.

Clockwork nodded.

"So, what was up with those weird dreams I had?" Danny finally asked.

The other ghost laughed. "Those, young Daniel, were just a few of my favorite memories of the future that I thought I might share."

Danny looked even more confused as if he were missing something as Clockwork winked at Sam who was grinning.

Clockwork went to disappear, but first turned to Sam.

"By the way, Miss. Manson. The game ends with you." Sam stopped smiling and only nodded in thought as the ghost disappeared.

Danny turned to his girlfriend. "What game?"

Sam shrugged, but lied easily. "I…have no idea. Now, let's go, I think our parents are back!"

Everyone hurriedly made their way back to the school with Ashley piggybacking on Dash. The others hurried back, eager to see their mothers once more, as Jazz hung back a little.

She looked back at the field and the broken debris as her eye caught something. She picked up a small medallion and held it flat in her palm.

Jazz finally began to walk away from the field, and away from a tale that no one but they who were there would know, or believe.

* * *

Ah! You all do not know how hard that was for me to crank out! Haha. Okay, so I honestly sat here for over five hours (with a really sucky head cold and about a thousand tissues surrounding me) to get this one out.

Ten pages, people! Ten! And almost 6,500 words! Ahh! Haha. I will go somewhere and cry if I do not get reviews for my hard work, or at least in pity for the fact that I feel like I just got run over by a dump truck! ;)

Love you all, Chapter 21 will be out…as soon as I catch my breath and find some medicine.

Keyarrah

P.S. There was your double-shoutout Hayley! X's and O's to my sickly brethren!...Or Sister...en. Whatever. I'm going to sleep, haha.


	21. The Word 'Goodbye' Never Sucked So Much

Hey everyone.

Well, this is it: the chapter that you've been waiting on since the beginning. It's time for Sam's assignment!

Keyarrah

* * *

The trek back to the school didn't seem as long as it had before. Emma and Annica were barefoot and freezing, and the others were finally really feeling the cold.

The snow had simultaneously stopped as Clockwork disappeared, which meant that it would hopefully be gone by the end of the week, and that they could once again enjoy the California sun.

"On Dancer! On Dasher! On…_other-reindeer-whose-names-I-can't-remember-except_-Rudolph!" Ashley cried as she whooped around on Dash's shoulders.

"Hello! I _said_ 'On _**Dash**_er'!" Ashley hinted impatiently.

Dash could only sigh as he quickened his pace. Things were definitely heading back to the realm of normality.

The closer that they got to the school, the louder the sounds around them got, which told them that not only were the students safe, but their mothers had indeed been returned to them.

Shouts of, "Mom!" filled the air as the twelve of them were face to face with the main entrance of the school. As soon as they were noticed though, everyone grew silent—the students because they knew what had happened, and the parents because they did not.

"_He's Danny Phantom."_

"_Is he going to say anything?"_

"…_and what about the mayor? He's the Wisconsin Ghost?"_

"…_ghost?"_

"_Danny Phantom? That boy?"_

Sam, who stood next to Danny, squeezed his hand softly. "Well? Ready to confirm another rumor?"

Danny nodded, and with a deep breath, he let go of Sam's hand and went ghost. Those who already knew were still taken aback, and those who did not were beyond shocked, including Maddie Fenton.

"Alright," Danny announced, running a hand through his silvery locks. "It's true. I'm Danny Phantom. But I hope that this won't change the way you look at me as a per—"

Danny's impromptu speech was cut off by a massive round of applause. Danny looked around to see all of the students and their mothers clapping loudly, some even whistling and cheering.

"WE LOVE YOU, DANNY!" a group of freshman girls chorused.

Danny turned to Sam with a shrug, only to be met with a smirk and a loud whistle.

His sister and friends began to clap too, as did Sophia, Paulina, and the twins, Melanie and Melody. Danny turned back around only to face a smiling Maddie, who looked at him expectantly. He came to land in front of his mother sheepishly.

"You know, your father was just complaining last night about how kids these days don't have enough responsibility." Maddie told him softly. "Won't he be surprised when he finds out that our own son has more than the both of us put together and then some?"

Danny chuckled as his mother brought him into a hug.

After all of the initial shock had died down some, Mr. Lancer and Principal Ishyama ushered everyone back into the building, which wasn't as beaten up as it could have been, even though two senior students tripped over two pairs of shoes lying haphazardly on a flight of stairs.

Annica and Emma sheepishly claimed them.

As everyone settled into the banquet hall and found their mothers—in Annica's case, her sister—Ashley and Sam stood together, looking through the scattered hoards of hugging and emotional people for a certain redheaded woman.

They'd been looking for her for quite some time now, and as much as no one really wanted to say goodbye, both the principal and the vice-principal thought it best that everyone leave at the designated time, which would be in about ten minutes.

"Samantha. Ashley." Pamela replied, stepping toward them.

Pamela stood before them stiffly, her face looking exactly the same way that it had on the day she'd come to get them.

"I may not remember much, but I do remember a certain conversation that was had in this very school with the two of you. I also recall Mrs. Baxter mentioning a certain beau, Sam."

Sam looked away in disappointment only to look back at her mother in confusion. Had she just called her Sam?

Sweeping up her daughters in a tight hug, Pamela smiled. "I am so proud of you both."

As Pamela turned to leave, she pulled Sam aside. "You know, Samantha…I've never actually met the Fentons. I'll be sure to do so."

Sam took that as her mother's very rare approval and nodded. For the first time as she waved goodbye, she wished that her mother could stay.

* * *

Days, then weeks, then months passed, and before they knew it, it was June 17th, the night before graduation. Time had slipped away from them, and they weren't quite ready to face it. Within time, the girls had transitioned into better versions of themselves.

Although Annica's words had been twisted during her possession, some of the things that she said held bits and pieces of truth.

Ashley had dyed her hair back to its natural blonde color, no longer needing to rebel against her parents. She'd found her comfort zone within herself, and she was sticking with it.

Roxie took slight care to make sure that not every other word coming out of her mouth was a backhanded and/or sarcastic comment. While she wouldn't be getting soft or anything, she did try to broaden her personality a bit.

Jazz had relaxed considerably, having The Secret Assignment Game to thank for that. Obviously, she didn't skip any book reports to hang out with the girls, but she did begin to maintain a healthy balance between work and leisure.

Annica was finally breaking through the shy bubble that she'd long ago thrown herself into. She was much more likely to start a conversation than to sit and be led through one. It also helped that she'd finally gotten to talk to her father about her mother. It was no longer an unspeakable topic for the both of them, and it had made them considerably closer.

Sam had been careful not to put Danny before any of her friends, and made sure to balance out her time between them. She and Danny were happy, and had little to no problems in their relationship…except for the fact that Paulina had to be put in her place more than few times that year.

Raven hadn't really been as affected by Annica's words as the rest of them, seeing as what Annica had said was completely false. Raven did however, prove her loyalty to her friends by _not _leaving them. She had been invited by different groups of girls to 'hang with them', but she turned them all down. No matter what anyone thought, those girls were like her sisters, and nothing would change that—not race, not newfound popularity, nothing.

Emma had also somewhat benefited from Annica's harsh words. While she had never really been vain like her friend had described her to be, she was still incredibly fashion conscience. While the girl was still very much convinced that everyday was in fact a fashion show, she was more relaxed with her appearance.

Now, the girls sat for the final time in the Girls' Common Room 3A, squished together on the couches and chairs, none of them very much in the mood to speak.

"I'm leaving tomorrow." Jazz finally cut in, breaking the silence.

"Really? Is that why we're all sitting here like someone just died? Tell me more…" Roxie replied sardonically, slouching into her part of one of the big red couches that they'd spent several months lounging upon.

"Guys…come on. This should not be as sucky as we're making it. We should be celebrating or something. Jazz made Valedictorian! Just because she graduates tomorrow, and is going off to college where she'll hardly ever have time for us and will probably replace us with smarter and cooler people—…_okay_, yeah, this does **suck**." Emma deadpanned with a bitter frown.

The girls joined in on her frowning, none of them really knowing what to say. While they could be celebrating Jazz's accomplishments and her successes, they would also be celebrating the fact that Jazz would be leaving them and their school, and inevitably the memories that they made in it.

"No." Sam piped up. "No, no, no. We are not going to sit here and have a pity party. This is our last night together, guys. Is this really how we want to remember it?"

The other six softly voiced their agreement.

"What can we do, though?" Raven questioned.

Sam got a wicked grin. "I thought you'd never ask. Follow me, ladies."

* * *

The girls crept through the halls with the flashlight, Sam leading them effortlessly to the boys' dorm rooms.

"Okay, I don't even want to know how you know your way around this place so easily in the dark…" Ashley muttered.

Sam rolled her eyes and stopped them in front of a familiar looking door.

"No offense, Sam, but I don't think Jazz wants to remember her last night here as the night that she had to gouge her eyes out from watching you suffocate her brother with your tongue." Annica made a face at the thought.

"No, geniuses. Now, just wait here." She took a bobby pin out of her messily pinned up hair and popped open the door slightly.

Tiptoeing into the room, she already had a mental picture of where she needed to go. She made her way over to Danny's dresser, opened up the third drawer and grabbed the first pair of boxers she could, only to trip over something near Tucker's bed on her way out and have an alarm almost give her a heart attack.

At once the lights flickered on, and a panicked looking Tucker shot up toward her while a sleepy looking (and shirtless) Danny sat up with a yawn.

"Ah-ha!…Wait. Sam? _YOU'RE_ the culprit?" Tucker questioned.

Sam nervously hid the underwear behind her back and tried her hardest not to stare at her boyfriend's unclothed chest.

"Culprit?" she feigned innocence.

Danny rolled his eyes with a stretch and another yawn. "Ignore him. He's been over the edge ever since he found out that he's either going to be, or has been in a dress."

Sam snickered and looked up at the ceiling. _'Oh, he has been…'_

"Okay, fine. So if you aren't the culprit, then what are you doing here?" Tucker looked at her suspiciously.

"Uhm…" Sam looked around the room and though fast, seeing a blue box on the floor tied with a white ribbon.

"I wanted to see if Danny had gotten Jazz anything for graduation! I can see that he did! So…good night." Sam crept backwards toward the door, giving Tucker a glimpse of what she had behind her back.

Tucker advanced toward her much to Sam's horror. Just as Sam thought that he was going to bust her, he simply leaned against Danny's dresser nonchalantly and closed the drawer that she'd left open.

"And this couldn't have waited until morning? It's eleven at night." Tucker argued.

Sam shrugged her shoulders nervously. "Yeah…I can see that. Well, sorry for waking you guys up! Bye!" She hurriedly backed out of the door and closed it.

She heaved a sigh of relief and gestured for the girls to follow her as she ran back to Common Room 3A.

"Wasn't that door locked?" Tucker muttered. He turned to Danny who had already settled back into his bed. "Your girlfriend is weird."

"And yet," Danny said, reaching over to turn off the light. "She's not the one with a Hamburglar alarm strapped to her bed."

* * *

Out of breath, and sort of confused, Roxie, Emma, Jazz, Raven, Ashley, and Annica made their way back to the Common Room, to find Sam grinning madly.

"Jazz, may I present…your present." She held a pair of red and blue starry boxers out in front of her. "Assignment complete."

She was met with squeals and laughter.

"No…way! I _knew_ that's what you were going in there for!" Raven laughed.

Jazz took the boxers from her friend. "Why thank you, something I can really use at college."

"Oh, ew! I don't even want to know for what!" Annica proclaimed, plopping down on the couch.

The others followed suit, all seven of them squishing onto the biggest couch. Ashley, who sat in the middle of the seven of them fidgeted and squirmed until she came to a conclusion.

"There is something under my butt." She shoved her hands into the cushion, everyone complaining as she forced them to scooch over, until she pulled something out.

"Rox! It's your hat!" Annica exclaimed.

A closer look at the red baseball cap told Roxie that it was indeed, her lucky hat. Roxie opened it to find five smushed strips of paper with their names on them, and a couple of blank ones. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a pen and scribbled Ashley and Raven's names on two of the empty strips.

"There. All done. Seven assignments all completed."

The girls shared looks and soft smiles.

"We're all finished? Really?" Raven questioned, surprised at how sad the idea seemed.

Annica nodded. "Yeap. I knocked Pretty Paulina off her throne just like Sam wanted."

Sam grinned. "I got Danny's boxers, just like Jazz told me to."

Jazz looked away. "Dash's hair was given to Emma."

Emma nodded. "Mr. Lancer was thoroughly embarrassed by the Spooks-B-Gone picture on the website, just like you wanted Roxie."

Roxie blanched at a memory going through her mind. "Tucker, who is thankfully very much alive, and has been very much paranoid for the last three and a half months, was photographed in a dress, all for Annica."

"I punched Paulina!" Ashley threw in. Raven laughed.

"And…I got saved by _Super Ashley_…I guess we are done. So what now?"

Annica beamed. "It's time for…dah-dah-dah-dah! Okay. Time for the closing ceremony!"

Emma laughed. "Biting off of the Olympics much?"

Annica reached in and sifted through the blank strips, taking them all out and placing them on the lamp stand. She then handed everyone their names and held her own over the cap.

"Alright. Here's to…never having a fight." Annica said, tearing her strip and placing it into the hat.

Jazz snorted.

"I'm sorry, was I or was I not called a lying bitch by someone in this room?" She tore her strip into fourths as they all laughed and the cap was handed to her.

"Here's to new beginnings...and our incredible dodging of the paparazzi these last few months." Jazz replied thoughtfully, handing the cap to Emma.

It was true. Obviously, Danny's unfolded secret had opened up a whole new world entirely for the group. When Danny (and Sam) weren't beating off fan girls, hiding from students who were being paid off by the press, and ducking away from prying eyes, the whole group was trying their hardest to live normally with everyone watching their every move, even some of the teachers.

"Okay. Here's to…_torrid love affairs_. **Which**, by the way we still have one of, because I do **NOT **believe that there is nothing going on between Dashton and Jazmine."

Another round of laughs went around, except for Jazz who swatted her. Ashley waited for Emma to tear her strip before taking the cap.

"I got one. Here's to life and death situations, which also means a giant hip-hip-huzzah for Super Ashley for saving the same day not once, but twice in a row." Ashley ripped the strip with her name on it into several confetti-sized pieces before Sam took the cap.

"Oh, please. Here's to some of the **worst** concocted plans in the history of planning. Two words: Cupcake Dance-Off." Sam threw a mock-angry look at Annica as she ripped hers up.

Raven took the cap next. "Here's to the craziest Valentine's day of our lives…I hope, because I don't think we can handle anything else but candied hearts and paper cards for the rest of our lives."

There was a chorus of wholehearted agreement as Raven ripped up her strip of paper. The hat was handed back to Roxie who ripped her paper and then folded it neatly to make sure that none of the pieces of paper fell out. She then handed it to Jazz.

"Here's to growing up. Make us proud in college, Jazzy."

Jazz took the cap with a smile and sniffled, as Roxie stood up before them.

"Now, I have written a speech using my _personal _knowledge." She announced.

"Oh boy. This one should be fun. Can we spell 'Remedial English'?" Sam snickered.

Roxie stuck her tongue out.

"Now. To say that Jazmine Fenton is more _**sapient**_ than others would be an understatement. She, like royalty deserves nothing but _**obeisance**_ for her knowledge. She is such an amazing person that she can never be _**vituperated**_. From biology to _**vexillology**_, Jazz is the best _**provenance**_ there is. Jazz invigorates, and never _**enervates**_, and she is decidedly _**chichi**_. So let there be _**tintinnabulation**_ for our best friend, Jazz!"

Roxie received blank stares.

"…What the hell did you just say?" Sam questioned.

"…What's 'she-she'?" Emma wondered aloud.

"It's spelled 'chichi', Em. And Roxie, your own knowledge? Yeah, I've studied _biology_, but I've never really gotten into the study of _flags_." Jazz raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, so I might have looked some stuff up." Roxie confessed.

"Some?" Raven asked.

"Okay!" Roxie announced, ignoring her. "Getting too emotional 'round these parts. I'm off to bed now!"

"Yeah, it's getting late."

"Early day tomorrow, too. Night."

"Night-night, love!"

"Hasta luego…or something like that!"

Roxie, Raven, Annica, Emma, and Ashley made their way up the stairs, leaving Sam and Jazz downstairs.

"Well, I'm gonna turn in too." Sam turned to walk to toward the stairs also. "Hey, how'd your Valedictorian speech come out?"

Jazz beamed at her. "Great."

She waited until Sam smiled back and went up the stairs.

"Yeah…great. Or at least it will be once I figure out what to say." She looked down at the unassuming baseball cap in her lap.

"Tell me lucky baseball cap, why exactly is this whole leaving thing harder than I thought it would be…and did Roxie really just say 'tintinnabulation'?"

* * *

Again, (you all must be so sick of hearing this) don't forget to vote in the poll for who your favorite TSAC girl is.


	22. The Friendship We'll Have After Forever

Oh…wow, guys.

Here it is: the final official chapter of 'The Secret Assignment Club', besides the epilogue.

To say that I've enjoyed writing this story is a total understatement. Personally, I'd like to think that I succeeded in putting a bit of myself (and as some of you have told me, bits of you all) into my characters.

Annica represents the shy and conservative part,  
Emma represents the girly part,  
Jazz represents the smart, maternal and mature part,  
Raven represents the diversity,  
Ashley represents the hyper and spazztic tendencies we've all been known to have at some point, Roxie represents the random and outgoing part,  
and Sam represents independent and truly the talented part of us all that secretly believes in happy endings, that has crazy friends.

I can only hope that TSAC has been as copacetic for all of you readers as it has been for me. Thank you so much for all of you who've been with the fic since the beginning when

_"Samantha Manson sat in the lobby to the girls' dormitories with a sigh."_

Well, I suppose it's time to continue on. Enjoy the chapter and please review.

Keyarrah

* * *

Samantha Manson stood in the lobby to the girls' dormitory with a sigh.

Walking up the stairs felt like a shorter distance than it had before. Her heels made a heavy and thick sounding 'clack' against the stairs due to the echo caused by the emptiness. She wasn't used to being the only one in the stairwell.

She had to admit that she felt an odd sense of relief when a brunette in rolled up red sweatpants and flip-flops tossed her a smile as she carried what seemed to be her last box down the stairs.

Gathering up all of the memories in her head, she walked down the corridor and stopped at the door. The oak door stood before her somberly, as if it were just waiting for her to turn the knob, so she did so.

She stood in the doorway of the empty dormitory and let her amethyst eyes scan the room.

All of their belongings were gone and most likely halfway to their house by now. Her eyes ran over an indent in the carpet where Ashley's bed frame had once been. She closed her eyes and envisioned their furniture.

Her bed was neatly made, except for the imprint of her sister's body after she'd _sumo-flopped_onto it. The computer on the wall near the bathroom door, posters of bands scattered all over the wall. Ashley's red wood dresser underneath the window, dark gray curtains fluttering open as the wind blew through the window that Sam had TOLD Ashley to close about fifty times…

Opening her eyes again she was met with the empty room, a painful reminder for her heavy heart.

"Looks different."

So caught up in her thoughts, she didn't hear her boyfriend of four and a half months come up behind her. She turned around and nodded.

"It does…" she sighed. "It is." She wrapped her arms around herself and looked at it again.

"You know, me and Tucker spent eight hours, if not more, lugging and hauling furniture yesterday," Danny sighed stretching. "So, I'm going to be a little more than irritated if we end up back in the same room."

Sam offered him a watery smile and looked at him full on now.

All ready for his sister's graduation, he wore dark navy blue dress pants, and a halfway-buttoned dress shirt that was a few shades lighter. He wore black dress shoes that he hadn't bothered to shine, and Sam noticed that under his dress shirt was a plain white t-shirt, no tie.

Sam knew for a fact that the semi-formal attire was Mrs. Fenton's doing. She also knew that the white t-shirt without a tie was her boyfriend's doing. She figured that his mother let it slide simply for the fact that she was glad that he was not going out in jeans, sneakers, and bright t-shirt with a crude saying on it.

"What you thinking about?" Danny questioned, his blue eyes still bright with the humor from moments before.

Sam gave a slight shrug.

"Another year…gone. I have no idea where it went, but…poof. It vanished. And then next year, the same thing is going to happen. And the next year, and the next…" Sam brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "We'll all be out of college…we'll all drift away. I mean, look at us now, our big group of seven is turning into a…a not-so big group of six."

"Then," Danny began. "We'll go and find you fifty new friends, that way, when one leaves, you'll never know!"

Sam frowned at him.

"Okay, okay. I was kidding. I don't even think I _know _fifty people." Danny smiled lightly. He approached her more and turned her to look directly at him.

"Sam, stop thinking about that. Now, we both know that Jazz is not going anywhere. In fact, we both know that how ever old everyone gets, Emma, Annica, Raven, Roxie, and Ashley, especially since you're related, are not going anywhere. _**I**_ most definitely am not going anywhere.

"You know that, I know that, so that means that _we_ know that and that there's no worry." Danny's eyes looked serious, but were still bright and seemingly dancing with excitement.

"Besides," Danny continued with a smile. "We'll always have the summer."

Sam nodded, looking as if some of the weight were just tossed off of her shoulders. Danny certainly had a way of doing that.

"You're right. Good thoughts, Mr. Fenton."

Danny gave a smirk she knew all too well. "Mm…mostly."

Ignoring his comment she nudged him and muttered something to herself about 'certain dirty minded people'.

Changing the subject yet again, Danny gazed at her admiringly. "You look pretty…no, you look beautiful." He corrected himself.

Sam reddened a little and shook her head. She was wearing a simple strapless black cocktail styled dress with matching black heels that laced up to her ankles. Her hair was out, but wavy and she wore a simple crystal and amethyst silver barrette that her grandmother had bought her years ago. She wore it on special occasions because it matched her eyes to a key.

"Danny, you don't have to say that." Sam fought off her warm cheeks and the blush she knew had to be there.

Danny shook his head sternly. "I say it because I want to, and because I mean it, Sam. Not because I have to."

As Sam went to reply there was a loud, "Aww!" from behind them.

"How ah-dorable! Now chop-chop, lovebirds." Emma clapped her hands loudly. "You've already missed our girl before the ceremony. She waited as long as she could for you, but Lancer pulled her away to go over her Valedictorian speech."

The strawberry-blonde haired, blue-eyed girl stood before them in a champagne colored kimono dress that seemed to glisten. The trim of the sleeves and v-neckline were jet-black, and in a darker champagne color there was a small, capital 'E' on the top left of the neckline.

She wore black stilettos and her long blonde hair was now pinned into a semi-messy bun with tendrils of hair hanging out. She brushed off the dress that ended a little above her knees.

"You like?" Emma asked, spinning. "I designed it myself. I call it 'Sophisticate' by EmKat." She proudly pointed to the 'E'.

Sam nodded in surprise. She knew Emma had a flair for fashion and design, but this was incredible. Pushing Emma out of the way was Roxie, who rolled her eyes impatiently.

"Look Vera Wang, you can catwalk later. Right now, our little girl is growing up, and I need pictures!" Roxie snapped, eyeing her friend.

Roxie looked stunning in a red and black thick-strapped dress. The dress was a little dramatic looking, looking as if it were a very toned down brothel dress bordering the Lolita look, but in a way it was also plain and simple, as expected of Roxie. Her shoes were plain, black, and closed-toed, with a heel smaller than the rest of theirs.

Roxie's hair was also straightened and Sam noticed the absence of her signature red streaks that would have matched her dress and her signature red lipstick.

"Blah-blah-blah. You'd think you'd dread _pictures_, especially ones of dresses." Annica announced, coming up behind them in a strapless sapphire blue dress. The dress had a little finish of darker sapphire lace at the top and bottom hems, and her shoes were the exact same color as Roxie's, but were open-toed wedge heels.

Roxie gave Annica a death glare, but continued on. "Come onnn! I left Raven with Ashley, and only God knows what Ashley's doing. They're saving our seats."

Sam nodded and turned to Danny who she realized hadn't taken his eyes off of her. "You ready?"

She gave a slight nod and she took his hand and led them out.

Roxie forced them all to power walk down the stairs and out to the main field where the ceremony was to take place, (which Emma quite loudly voiced that she didn't appreciate) so they made it in time, with about four minutes left to spare before it started.

Glancing around at the thousands upon thousands of metal folding chairs on the field, her eyes happened to see a section where a familiar looking blonde girl was standing on a chair, waving her arms wildly. Sam couldn't help but laugh at the look of horror on her mother's face (who was sitting behind her, as were the rest of their parents) as she urgently shushed Ashley and demanded that she sit.

Some things never changed.

_**If you only once would let me  
Only just one time  
Then be happy with the consequence  
With whatever's gonna happen tonight  
Don't think we're not serious  
When's it ever not**_?_**  
The love we make is give and it's take**_;_**  
I'm game to play along**_

As they all made their way to the frantically excited blonde girl she noticed Raven one seat away from her, and Tucker sitting a few seats down. She sat in-between the two, smiling brightly at Raven despite the dull painful pound that her heart was making against her ribcage.

Raven, sensing something behind her smile, squeezed her hand gently before flashing Sam a smile of her own.

Raven sat next to Sam in a kelly-green dress with a layered v-neck. The dress fit her body nicely, and was even cinched at the waist a little. On Raven's feet were a pretty pair of open-toed black shoes.

Lancer and Principal Ishyama walked up to the pulpit with smiles on their faces as the graduates filed down to the field in four large lines. Sam hadn't realized just how many seniors there were in their school. The eight of them all tried to see Jazz from where they were sitting, but to no avail.

A large desk was rolled out with what seemed to be thousands of manila envelopes. He picked up the first one and handed it to Ishyama who read clearly, "Tara Abraham!"

Sam tried to focus as a petite blonde girl stood up and walked on stage to get her envelope, but found herself looking anywhere but at the stage.

This was it…this was the very last day that they'd all spend together as a group. The Secret Assignment Club was over…the game had ended. They were closer than ever, and could honestly say that with each other, they'd been through Hell and back. The game…hadn't been just a game, had it? No, she doubted that.

She tried to think of what might have happened to them had they never played Annica's game. Would they have been as close? Maybe…probably.

But without the game, they would've never entered the Cupcake competition. Without the competition, Dash wouldn't have taken that picture, and without the picture Danny wouldn't have defended her, and if Danny hadn't have defended her they wouldn't have gotten closer and…

Sam blinked. Ach. Her head hurt.

So, it was obvious…okay, more than obvious that the game had affected her life, especially her relationship with Danny. And now that she thought of it, yes. It had made them all a lot closer. She loved Emma, Ashley, Jazz, Raven, Annica, and Roxie more than she ever had before.

_**All I can say  
I shouldn't say  
Can we take a ride?  
Get out of this place  
While we still have time**_

She looked at the African-American girl next to her as she watched 'Rupert Badger' get his diploma, and sympathize with the boy for the torture he must've gone though for the last twelve years. Raven was…gorgeous. There was no other word for it. The girl was simply radiant.

Her caramel colored skin, brown eyes, and long ebony colored locks made her seem like any other black girl, but her sparkling personality was what made her so beautiful. Sam was told of how Raven ran to find them when the whole flier thing happened, and how concerned she was through it all. Sam had always known Raven to be a compassionate and loyal friend.

Raven Chaudrey was one of the best people she'd ever met, and she knew she'd be one of the best people she'd ever meet, period. Sam couldn't picture being racist towards anyone, especially not Raven. Yeah, she knew some people thought it was weird that a black girl was hanging out in a group of predominantly white girls, but none of them knew Raven like they knew her.

Sam smiled as Raven yawned in boredom; at least she wasn't the only one.

"Dash Baxter!"

Sam looked up, as did the others. What had gone on between Dash and Jazz was an utter mystery, but it seemed that nothing was going on now. The two had hardly spoken in the last month, and Jazz refused to comment on the boy, or his parents. Sam couldn't blame her on the parents thing though…

On her left sat the one and the only, Ashley Manson. Ashley wore a strapless black dress with small neon green hearts on the right part of the hem. On the bodice was a shoelace looking thing that reminded Sam of the back of a corset. The laces were matching neon green, and tied into a somewhat messy bow. Typical Ashley…of course she wore matching neon green heels. The shoes looked like converses with a high heel on the bottom. Ashley, Ashley, Ashley, what could she say about her sister? Sam looked at the girl with smirk. She was currently glaring daggers at the stage as Principal Ishyama announced,

"Ana Cordin!"

Ashley hissed a quiet, "Boo…" at Paulina's graduating flunky.

There was a big chance that Sam would never profess out loud just how much she loved that kid. Ashley was like her…spazztic other half. She'd grown to appreciate her younger sibling's company more and more each day. Ashley now adorned her natural blonde locks, (much to the happiness of their parents) and seemed a lot more comfortable with herself. Yes, Ashley would always be her crazy younger sister who she wanted to throttle a good part of the time, and yes, Ashley would forever do stupid things to annoy her like call her 'Sma' and leave Sam's bras in Danny and Tucker's bathroom to make them freak out just for the heck of it, and…well, Ashley would always be Ashley…but Sam could tolerate it…at least for another three years until she went to college…hopefully out of state.

_**Oh oh, Oh oh oh  
Oh oh, Oh oh oh**_

Next to Ashley sat the only boy that ever did and ever would steal her heart, Danny Fenton. Danny sat there patiently, listening to Tucker mutter something to him. It must've been funny because Danny cracked a smile and then turned to her. It was then that she realized that _she_ was what had been so funny.

"Bored?" Danny mouthed to her.

Sam gave a mock-pout and mouthed back, "Never."

_**All the best DJs are saving  
Their slowest song for last  
When the dance is through  
It**_'_**s me and you**_,_**  
Come on**_,_** would it really be so bad**_**?**_**  
The things we think might be the same**_,_**  
But I won't fight for more**_._**  
It**_'_**s just not me to wear it on my sleeve**_,_**  
Count on that for sure**_

Danny smirked at her before turning his attention back to the stage as 'Carmen Edwards' strode across the stage snottily and snatched her diploma before giving a sideways peace sign to a couple of people in the audience who actually cheered for the girl.

Sam could honestly, without a doubt say that she loved Danny. It wasn't that whole _'I need you to complete me'_ thing, either, like she thought it was before. When she thought that she would forget his secret, she knew that she had to tell him. It made her feel even better to know that Danny felt the same. No, they hadn't said it to each other since, because it wasn't the right time yet. It was one thing to say it when you thought that the person you loved would forget a very big part of your life—if not all of it—but it was another thing to know how the other felt, and wait for the perfect moment to say it again…to feel that again.

Sam felt herself blush as she realized that she was going off into, as Roxie would call it, 'Mushy-Land'.

Next to Danny sat Tucker Foley. She didn't really know Tucker as well as she probably should have, but they got along pretty well. Although she knew for a fact that she never would have taken the time to befriend the tech-savvy boy, she was glad that she met him through Danny and Roxie. Casting a glance at the boy, she smiled a bit. Apparently, he could keep a secret too. She mused on the fact that she knew that he'd seen the boxers in her hand the night before. It almost made her feel bad about his picture paranoia...almost. The other part of her found it far too amusing for guilt.

She looked over at Roxie, who was smiling fondly though trying to hide the deep blush that was forming on the back of her neck. She'd never seen her friend blush, and if she had, it certainly wasn't the blush she got whenever she was around Tucker. Tucker made her friend happy…and that made her happy.

Speaking of a certain friend, Roxanne Forrester was something else. She'd never forget how they met, randomly in their freshman year. Roxie had bumped into her (or maybe it was the other way around, who knew?), chaos ensued, and before she knew it she and Roxie were heading back over to Sam's table to meet Jazz. Sam admired Roxie for her bravery and courage. Roxie's courage however, went beyond knowing when to be strong…it went to the point where Roxie now knew when it was okay to break down as well.

Sam often wondered what exactly went through her mind. It were as if Roxie just sat back and wondered, '_Hm…now what random and maybe slightly inappropriate thing can I say here?_' But it didn't take a genius to know that Roxie was going to really do something with her life. Over the last few months, she'd learned of Roxie's home life and that it wasn't exactly a cakewalk. What the possessed version of their friend had said was true, but Roxie just wasn't the type of girl to let something like that keep her down. That, was the thing she loved most about her.

_**All I can say  
I shouldn't say  
Can we take a ride?  
Get out of this place  
While we still have time  
You want to take a ride?  
Get out of this place  
While we still have time**_,_**  
Yeah— We still have time**_

Sitting next to Roxie was her before-mentioned ex-'possessee' of a best friend. Britannica Reed sat attentively, looking through the program, probably waiting for Jazz's cue. Annica…there was a lot that had changed with Annica. For starters, the girl could no longer be described as 'meek'. Something about all that had happened had inspired something new in Annica. It was as if she just needed a cause to get behind again.

Sam smiled softly to herself as she realized that that was probably it.

Annica needed something to be strong for, and Vlad had given that to her. Though she hated that man with a passion, she would be thankful for that much.

Next to Annica sat Emma, who looked ready to gouge her eyeballs out in boredom. She huffed silently to herself as she watched 'Elijah Enteren' go and accept his ticket to high school freedom.

What could she say about Emily Court that wasn't common knowledge? A lot. Yes, she was beautiful. Yes, she was blonde. She had blue eyes, a sweet smile, and was born England. Yes, yes, yes, that was all true. But what stereotypers would never know was that Emma not only loved wearing clothes, but she loved to design them. The evidence was in her ensemble, for crying out loud. She also knew that Emma had taken business classes and passed with flying colors. So not only was Emma gorgeous, but she was brilliant. She was also Annica's right-hand girl.

Sam knew that Annica and Emma were closer than the rest of them, just as she and Jazz were closer than the rest of them. Though it would seem that the girls had paired off, they really hadn't, and somehow, it just made them stronger.

Somehow…their friendship just worked.

"Guys, guys!" Ashley hissed in excitement. "Jazz is next!"

_**Oh, oh…**_

_**Oh, oh…**_

_**Oh, oh…**_

_**Oh, oh…**_

Sure enough, right after Elizabeth Fenteri accepted her award they heard, "Jazmine Fenton!"

They, and those behind them, erupted into cheers. Jazz looked straight at them and smiled. Under her open black gown with the official school crest on it, Sam could make out a long golden colored dress. Jazz's hair was down, and it framed her face as she accepted her diploma.

After Jazz walked off they sat there rather _im_patiently, waiting until finally, "Ethan Zahr!" was called from the principal's mouth.

Lancer smiled at the audience and took the microphone. "Now it gives me great pleasure to have this year's valedictorian, Jazmine Fenton greet the graduating class with a speech she's prepared."

They all clapped and cheered (except for Ashley, who took to loud whooping) as Jazz walked up to the podium, and both Ishyama and Lancer sat down.

"Hello, graduating class of 2008," Jazz began, looking at a couple of people in the front row. "You all probably know me as Jazmine, the good student, but there are a few know me as a daughter, a sister, and a friend." Her eyes swept over the crowd and landed in the row where her friends resided.

"…they call me those things…but most importantly, they call me 'Jazz'." As she locked eyes with Sam, she gave a soft smile to the podium before promptly ripping up her index-cards for all to see.

_**Can't say I was never wrong  
But some blame rests on you  
Work and play, they're never okay  
To mix the way we do**_

"Okay, I had this speech, right," Jazz looked the crowd again. "And it…was pretty awesome…you know…for something that I wrote at four o'clock this morning."

Many in the crowd laughed, while those who were closer to her looked baffled. They thought she'd done this weeks ago.

"And it isn't as if I didn't try. Because I did! I _tried_! But none of the words seemed…nothing seemed real…not real enough to stand here and tell you, anyway."

Jazz then began to smile.

"This year, was insane for me. I mean, when it first started out, I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to work hard, stretch myself, and I was going to earn the achievement that I have received today. But then, after Christmas break, I took a chance with my friends, and we…_bonded_ more than we ever did before."

The girls all smiled at her, and Sam found herself becoming a little teary-eyed.

Looking closer at Jazz, it was clear that she was as well. Sam's suspicions were proved correct as Jazz's voice cracked a little.

"And then we almost lost each other, ironically on the day of _love_. I remember when Vlad first took my brother…and we were faced with death. And it was then that it occurred to me that those hours of studying, and reading, and watching videos, and taking tests, and _stretching_ myself meant…**nothing**. Absolutely positively nothing." A tear…then two…then three slid down Jazz's face.

"I mean, I'm eighteen years old, my brother is a superhero, and there is a _really_ big chance that I might just be in love with Dash Baxter."

Danny gaped and there was a choking sound heard approximately where the 'B's were sitting…

"So I could stand here and tell you about how we're all going to do great things, which I hope that we will…I know that we will." She was looking straight at the girls now.

"But saying that would mean that what we've already done…wasn't great. Saying that would be like…saying goodbye to everything that we've done…that we've created together. And looking around at all of you…I realize that I don't want to say goodbye."

The six of them joined Jazz in standing, tears freely falling down the seven of their faces. Jazz's cap had fallen, and she hadn't even bothered to pick it up.

_**  
All I can say  
I shouldn't say  
Can we take a ride?  
Get out of this place  
While we still have time  
You want to take a ride?  
Get out of this place  
While we still have time  
We still have time**_

"In closing, I'd like to say this: The assignments that I've received from teachers, and the secrets that I'd once held dear to me, are nothing compared to the secret assignments that life throws at you out of…an old baseball cap." Jazz laughed.

The crowd gave polite laughs also, but only the seven of them knew what it really meant. Jazz stared at them, teary and smiling from way down where they were.

The girls looked at each other and seemed to come to an agreement.

"Hey Em," Annica turned to her. "Feel like going barefoot again?"

Emma only began to unstrap her shoes and the other five followed her lead. Jazz looked up from where she'd begun to descend the stage to see the six best friends she would ever know, running toward her.

Jazz laughed and ran to meet them.

They met off to the side of the field in a sloppy and teary group hug as they heard, "May I now present the class of 2008!"

A flurry of tasseled hats was thrown around them, Jazz unbuckled her sandals and threw them into the air as Danny and Tucker joined them.

"Ugh, I'm crying because of you, Fenton!" Roxie exclaimed as she wiped her eyeliner stained tears away. Emma could only laugh as she wiped away her own black tinted teardrops.

Someone cleared a throat behind them and they turned to see Dash, standing there nervously as he held her cap. "Jazz, can we talk?"

Jazz smiled at him with a nonchalant shrug. "Nah."

Before Dash knew what hit him, Jazz had grabbed her cap, thrown it to the ground, and pressed her lips to his softly. They probably would have continued had not a shrill and furious voice interrupted.

"I AM SO SICK OF THIS!"

Paulina, who wore a tight, blinding-white colored mini-dress stormed up to them in stilettos. "EVERY. SINGLE. TIME." She spat.

She whirled around to face Sam. "Is it not bad enough that you had to steal my _superhero_ boyfriend, you…you…crater humping whore?"

Sam looked at her with wide eyes and a bemused expression crossing her features as the Latina then turned to Jazz. "But then the **bookworm** has to come and grab what I have left like it's Happy Tuesday!" Paulina screamed.

"Right…I don't know if it matters, but it's Thursday." Roxie sighed, already bored of this.

"I DON'T CARE IF IT'S CINCO DE MAYO!" Paulina snapped.

"…But it's June." Ashley piped up.

Paulina turned to glare at her. "You. You think I forgot how you dissed me in front of those freshman? I am going to make your sophomore year HELL." Paulina grabbed Ashley's wrist tightly and red flags went up in Sam's head.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Paulina. That's it. You can call me all the names you want, you can criticize my friends, you can berate me, and holler, and romp all around my boyfriend in your cheap little skirts…okay, actually no, you CANNOT do that, and you also **cannot** touch my sister." Sam told her, staring her head-on as she dropped Ashley's wrist.

"So back," Sam advanced on her, "off."

Startled by the dangerous look in Sam's eyes, Paulina turned to run…only to meet one the fourteen giant cakes being brought out to the field.

At the sound of her screaming, _everyone_ turned to look. There stood Paulina Sanchez, teen princess, covered from head to toe in chocolate. As she picked herself up from the ground she turned to glare morbidly at Sam, who was now in the arms of Danny.

"YOU!"

Danny turned Sam and himself intangible just at the right second so that Paulina skidded…right into the punch fixture that was being filled.

"Well…at least the punch washed off some of the cake…" Raven winced.

Paulina stood up, her dress now tropical punch red, and covered in chocolate smears. Sobbing, she stumbled toward Star and Ana, who stood near.

"Ana! Ana, help!" she whimpered.

Ana took one look at her and scoffed. "Oh, please, sophomore. I honestly cannot stand you, and now that I don't have to anymore, I won't. I swear I was only with you for the recommendations your father gives for college…that and to keep my cousin safe from your psycho clutches. Let's go, Star."

Star nodded before giving Paulina a sympathetic look and allowing herself to be dragged away.

"Hm. Star and Ana are cousins?" Annica pondered aloud.

"I know! You find out the craziest things at the oddest moments." Emma agreed.

Paulina just glared. "I…hate you. I HATE YOU! I HOPE YOU—OOF."

They just stared as the girl's heel got stuck a mound of cake that she'd left behind and left her falling flat on her face. "This is not over!" she screamed.

"Just walk away girls," Jazz muttered. "Just walk away."

They walked back to where their parents were, barefoot and laughing, while trying to fix their makeup, but not caring too much.

"Pictures! Girls only!" Maddie cried.

They all just laughed and submitted, knowing that they wouldn't get out of this any other way. "Okay, now what are you girls going to say?" she questioned.

For the final time, the girls looked at each other and nodded. They were barefoot, they were happy, and they were together.

"We've got an idea." Jazz told her mother.

"Okay girls, ready…1…2…"

"TSAC!"

The girls smiled at the camera brilliantly, knowing that it probably looked like a disaster. As Ashley tackled Roxie playfully, and their mother cried out, "No! Ashley! We can see your undergarments!" Sam had to grin.

Yeah, they would have the summer…and every summer after that.

_**Oh oh (ah, ah, ah)  
Oh oh…**_


	23. The Epilogue

Okay, this is the _real_ final chapter of TSAC, the epilogue. I'm so sad…and a little nervous. I'm sad to be ending this fic, and I'm a little nervous about starting the sequel. So far, the sequel has been even more fun for me to write than this, which I didn't even think was possible. I'm working hard to make sure that those of you just joining the fic, and those who've been here since…forever, even when I didn't update for about a **millennium**, love where the fic has been and where it's going.

Well, I won't prolong this. It's time to say goodbye to TSAC girls, and I hope that you will all join me with the second generation, in the sequel.

Keyarrah

* * *

Samantha Fenton smiled as her husband helped her onto the couch. She sat down, cradling the little bundle wrapped in yellow, delicately. She sat there, watching her puffy closed eyelids with a smile. She couldn't wait to see her little one open her eyes. This would be the third time that Sam would see Danny's eyes open for the first time in one of their children. She felt the sofa press in beside her, and felt Danny's chin on her shoulder.

His breathing was soft, warm, and sweet on her ear as he joined her in watching the new addition to their family.

Sam wouldn't lie. This little one was a lot of work already. Her abdomen was still swollen and felt heavy, and though baby weight was the last thing on her mind, she was still in sweatpants and one of Danny's old sweatshirts.

"Hey there, pretty girl." Danny whispered.

Sam smiled. This one had already captured her Daddy's heart and she hadn't even opened her eyes yet.

"Hm," Sam closed her eyes and listened to their breathing, both in time with each other. "She is."

Danny exhaled.

The baby inhaled.

Danny inhaled.

The baby exhaled.

"I wasn't talking about that pretty girl, but yes, she is too." Sam opened an eye and smiled.

"Flattery will get you a grand total of nowhere, says baby number three." She laughed. Danny joined in, and cleared his throat at the sound of little footsteps.

"Is it here?! Is it here?!" a little boy cried.

"The baby is not an 'it', Ryan. Miss. Morgan says that my new brother or sister is a human being with feelings." A girl who looked to be a little bit older than the boy, berated.

"Kids," Danny smiled. "Come here and meet your sister."

The two raven-haired, blue-eyed children scampered up onto Danny's lap and peeked over at the blanket.

"I don't see nothin'. Momma, Lindsay lied. She said there was a baby, but I don't see nothin'." The boy complained.

Danny grinned. "That's because the blanket's in the way, Ryan."

Sam, also finding her son's impatience humorous, moved the soft yellow blanket over a bit more to reveal the tiny child.

Little Lindsay and Ryan peered down at the baby as she yawned and balled a tiny fist around their mother's finger. Ryan was the first to speak.

"…She's ugly."

Lindsay gasped. "No, she isn't. She's the most beautiful, awesome baby I've ever seen in my life, Daddy. What's her name? Does she have a name?"

Danny and Sam looked down as the baby squinted for a moment before revealing the most gorgeous and familiar looking amethyst eyes.

"Alexis," Sam smiled in awe as her child's eyes reflected her own. "Her name is Alexis."

* * *

"…Alexis! Alexis!"

"What? What, what, WHAT?" Alexis yanked the bathroom door open in annoyance.

"Get the hell out of the bathroom. My pores are burning and I need to wash this cleanser off of my face." Lindsay snapped.

"You and your pores can go burn, Lindsella DeVil. I just got my period like three point two seconds ago, and I am NOT in mood for your princess bull, okay?" Alexis snapped back.

"I don't care about your menstrual cycle, little sister! Now MOVE."

"Me and my menstrual cycle will take you down in this hallway, pizza-face!"

"No talking about your menstrual cycles when your father is present…" a tired Danny called as he trudged down the stairs.

"Sorry, Dad!"

"Sorry, Daddy!"

Lindsay turned from their father to glare at Alexis who leaned against the doorway with a scowl.

"'Sorry, Daddy'," her younger sister mocked.

"There's a reason Ryan thought you were ugly as a child." Lindsay glowered.

"And there's a reason why we both think you're ugly now." Alexis countered.

"I hate you!" Lindsay yelled as she stormed down the stairs to go use the basement bathroom.

"Go die!" Alexis yelled back through the slammed door.

Danny yawned as he walked back up with two steaming mugs. Sam met him at the doorway of their bedroom and wrapped her lavender colored silk robe around herself with one hand as she took one of them from her husband.

"And you wanted an even four." She replied, smirking as she took a sip.

"Well," Danny gave her a smile that she knew all too well. "I hear that four's the new lucky three."

She watched him as he put down his mug on the carpet.

"Daniel Fenton…" she began.

"And I've always liked the number four…" She put her hands on her hips as he took the mug and placed it next to his own.

"I mean it, Danny. No."

"I'm sorry…I don't think I've ever been told that word before. Definition please?" Danny hoisted her up over his shoulder and lightly kicked the door open with his foot.

"Danny!" Sam laughed as the door closed.

"That," Ryan grunted as he rubbed his eyes and headed for the bathroom, "is so disgusting."

He jiggled the knob on the door and grunted. "Oh my…Alexis! Are you in the bathroom again? What are you, constipated?"

"Go. Away." Came his sister's muffled, yet unmistakably angry voice.

"I have to pee!" Ryan grunted. "I will torment you until you come out, Alexis."

Alexis opened the door. "What do you—HEY!" Alexis was pushed to the carpet as Ryan shoved her out of the way.

"I have my _period_." Alexis taunted.

Ryan scoffed. "You used that lame lie last week. **Goodbye**. Go join Lindsay in the basement…the dark, cold, basement."

As the door was closed in her face, and Alexis let out a furious scream, the neighbors knew that it was just another normal Saturday morning in the Fenton household.

The door opened again for a brief second only for Alexis to have her cell-phone hurled at her. "Next time, make your calls on your own time instead of my urination time!"

Alexis huffed and picked up the phone. "Hey, Skylar?…Hello, Earth to Cousin. Yeah, I'll call you back."

She then proceeded to bang on the door after hanging up. "Ryan! Okay, the first time I was just lying to piss Lindsay off, but now I'm serious! Ryan! Open the door! RYAN!"

Because everyone knew that the Fenton brood got along for the most part…except on Saturday mornings when it's bathroom time.

* * *

The End.

Thank you all so much who've reviewed and loved this fic as much as I have. I appreciated and still appreciate everything and everyone.


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